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Brussels (pte026/13.07.2005/12:25) - Regulators from the European Commission raided Intel Corp. http://www.intel.com offices across Europe this week, gathering information for its investigation about the company's possible violation of anti-trust rules.
The investigation, a part of which began in the United States more than four years, peaked late June when rival US chipmaker company Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) http://www,amd.com sued Intel, the world's leading chipmaker, for billions of dollars for its alleged proselytising of 38 computer companies into buying Intel chips. AMD claims that Intel is campaigning globally in a 'relentless' fashion to maintain its monopoly on the sector.
According to AMD, Intel is also violating Japanese anti-trust laws from its unit in the country.
Although the EU inspectors would not disclose the exact locations of the offices searched, Intel spokesman Chuck Mulloy said that company offices in Swindon, England; Munich, Germany; Milan, Italy and Madrid, Spain were raided.
Intel provides microprocessors worldwide with chips, dominating the market in desktop computers that run Microsoft's Windows operating systems. Intel's marketing accounts for 90 percent in revenue terms.
Although AMD has accused Intel of unfairly trying to persuade clients to buy its chips over its own, it is not believed that the recent European raids had anything to do with AMD's lawsuit.
"Today's dawn raids should come as good news to consumers across Europe," said AMD's chief administrative officer, Thomas M. McCoy. "Every computer user has a strong interest in ensuring that the full truth about Intel's anticompetitive abuses is revealed and corrected."
About Intel's possible guilt, Marlo Thompson, a spokeswoman for the company in Munich, said: "Intel believes that its business practices are both fair and lawful".
Intel says that AMD's complaints stem from its being second to it on the market ladder.
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