Breakfree Global
Select Language
Fair and Open Competition
Break Free: Demand Fair and Open Competition
Open Letter from Hector Ruiz
Competition: Driving Innovation and Consumer Choice
Antitrust Enforcement
Innovation
AMD: Evolution of an Innovator
AMD: Powering the Future of Computing
Procurement
Public Procurement
Best Practices in IT Procurement
Press
Industry Quotes
Press Releases
Articles
Speeches and Other Resources
Links
Suggested Links
Court Documents
Translations

Antitrust Enforcement

AMD is an undisputed technology and innovation leader.

However, by intimidating the marketplace, imposing exclusive or near-exclusive deals and offering illegal rebates, Intel’s abusive monopolistic behavior has barred AMD from effectively competing in markets around the world.

Worldwide antitrust laws are clear: Abusive conduct to curb competition by a dominant monopoly is improper. That’s why we’ve filed a lawsuit against Intel, to break free from its stranglehold on the PC industry that has artificially restricted competition. Regulators around the globe agree that the abuse of monopoly power to foreclose competition is illegal, harmful to consumers and must be stopped. We believe our action against Intel will unleash a new wave of innovation and provide greater choice for consumers.

Highlights and Recent Activities

A Purported New Class Action Complaint Was Filed in Idaho Shortly After the New York Probe Against Intel Was Announced.

  • According to the complaint, Intel engaged in acts that include:
    “…a system of discriminatory, retroactive, first-dollar rebates triggered by purchases at such high levels as to have the practical and intended effect of denying customers the freedom to purchase any significant volume of processors from AMD and others.” – Competition Law 360* (Jan. 18, 2008)


New York Attorney General Cuomo Launches Antitrust Investigation of Intel

  • On January 10, 2008 Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo served a wide-ranging subpoena seeking documents and information on Intel Corporation. Cuomo is investigating whether Intel violated state and federal antitrust laws by coercing customers to exclude its main rival, Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), from the worldwide market for x86 computer processing units (CPU).

    Source: Press Release, Office of New York State Attorney General, Andrew M. Cuomo
    Read the Press Release


AMD Reacts to New York Attorney General’s Antitrust Investigation of Intel

  • New York State's decision, based on its findings to date, to open a formal investigation of Intel's anticompetitive business practices is good news for computer buyers in NY and throughout the United States." — Tom McCoy, AMD’s Executive Vice President, Legal Affairs and Chief Administrative Officer, January 10, 2008


  • "The allegations of Intel's anticompetitive conduct have not yet been proven or rejected in a court," Foer noted, "but with worldwide scrutiny growing, the Intel case has become the landmark monopolization case of the twenty-first century. It is significant because the market is global and there are only two competitors, with no anticipation of new entry. We think it awkward, with so much at stake and the two companies involved being American, that the U.S. government has not taken a more active role. But we applaud New York and any states that might join with Attorney General Cuomo for stepping up to the plate for American consumers." — Albert Foer, President, American Antitrust Institute, January 10, 2008


  • "It is not surprising that the New York Attorney General’s Office, which in recent years has played a leading role on numerous pro-consumer issues, has decided to turn its attention to competition in the market for computer microprocessors. Its expertise in antitrust was demonstrated by its central role in the Microsoft antitrust case,. Investigations such as this -- and remedies that may result -- protect competition and are of great importance to the computer and communications industry. Our industry innovates more and works best when companies with new and better ideas compete free of antitrust bottlenecks." — Press Release Issued by the Computer and Communications Industry Association (CCIA), Jan 10, 2008


  • "Antitrust investigations into Intel are springing up everywhere except Washington. It's high time the FTC woke up and started looking into practices that are harming American consumers and technological innovation. The FTC needs to stop looking the other way on Intel and start getting serious about enforcing antitrust law. The FTC is moving at a mega-hertz pace, in a gigahertz world." — New York Senator Charles E. Schumer, January 10, 2008


Korean Fair Trade Commission Charges Intel with Antitrust Violations

  • On September 11, 2007 Intel confirmed that it had received a Statement of Objections from the Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC), marking the culmination of an investigation by S. Korean competition regulations into Intel's abuse of its monopoly power. KFTC official Kim Sung Man told Bloomberg that "the results [of the investigation] are about suspicions over Intel's abuse of its dominant market power in Korea."


  • Read the Bloomberg Article


  • "With the Korea Fair Trade Commission action, a third independent antitrust agency has charged Intel with abusing its dominant position in the x86 microprocessor market. Following formal action in Japan and Europe, global scrutiny is increasingly focused on Intel’s harm to competition and consumers alike. Governments around the world must enforce antitrust laws to bring fair and open competition that will benefit computer manufacturers and buyers everywhere." — Thomas M. McCoy, AMD executive vice president, legal affairs and chief administrative officer (Sept. 11, 2007)


European Commission Charges Intel with Antitrust Violations



AMD Supports Korean Fair Trade Commission Dawn Raids as Part of Investigation Into Possible Intel Antitrust Violations



Tokyo District Court Denies Intel K.K. Argument to Keep Evidence Obtained by JFTC of Illegal Business Practices from the Public Record



AMD Supports European Commission’s Dawn Intel Raids For Possible Antitrust Violations

  • SUNNYVALE, CA – July 12, 2005 -AMD (NYSE: AMD) released the following statement today regarding the European Commission’s dawn Intel raids across Europe:

    “Today’s dawn raids should come as good news to consumers across Europe,” said Thomas M. McCoy, AMD executive vice president, legal affairs and chief administrative officer. “Every computer user has a strong interest in ensuring that the full truth about Intel’s anti-competitive abuses is revealed and corrected. The European Commission dawn raids show that Intel cannot and should not escape the scrutiny of antitrust officials around the world – nor can Intel escape the consequences of its anti-competitive actions, which raise prices, threaten innovation and harm consumers.”



AMD Motion for Leave to Serve Document Preservation Subpoenas Granted by U.S. District Court

AMD Japan Files Claim for Damages Arising from Violations of Japan’s Antimonopoly Act



AMD Files Antitrust Complaint Against Intel in U.S. Federal District Court



Overview of Fair Trade Commission of Japan (JFTC) Recommendation against Intel for violating Japan’s Antimonopoly Act



The Fair Trade Commission of Japan found in 2005 that Intel Japan K.K. (“Intel”) violated Japan’s Antimonopoly Act by engaging in anticompetitive business practices. The following are AMD’s statements regarding Intel’s antitrust violations in Japan:

Demand Fair and Open Competition



 

March 31, 2005  

 

AMD Responds to Intel’s “Acceptance” of The Fair Trade Commission Of Japan’s Ruling that Intel Violated Antimonopoly Act

Intel's Refusal to Acknowledge JFTC Facts and Harm Caused to Competitors and Consumers is Disturbing

"It is unfortunate that even when presented with specific - and very disturbing - findings of deliberate and systematic anti-competitive behavior, Intel refuses to face the facts and admit the harm it has caused to competitors and consumers," said Thomas M. McCoy, AMD executive vice president, legal affairs and chief administrative officer.

 

March 8, 2005   

AMD Supports Fair Trade Commission Of Japan’s (JFTC) Decision To Stop Illegal Business Practices By Intel

Intel’s Unlawful Business Practices in Japan Limit Consumers’ Freedom to Choose Worldwide

The JFTC found that Intel illegally manipulated the market to exclude competition, hurting PC users around the world,” said Thomas M. McCoy, AMD executive vice president, legal affairs and chief administrative officer. “Using market power illegally to limit innovation and, more importantly, consumers’ freedom to choose, cannot be tolerated. We encourage governments around the globe to ensure that their markets are not being harmed as well.”


What the Media is Saying

*viewing pdf requires Adobe Acrobat 6.0 or greater. To download the latest version of Adobe Acrobat click here.

 




©2008 Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.    |    Contact AMD    |    Terms and Conditions    |    Privacy    |    Trademark information    |    Site Map