FIGHTING CHANCE: Intel Corp will ask Europe's second-highest court in July to scrap a RM4.3bil EU antitrust fine. - Reuters
BRUSSELS: US chipmaker Intel Corp will ask Europe's second-highest court in July to scrap a 1.06bil euro (RM4.3bil) EU antitrust fine, arguing regulators failed to prove it blocked a rival in their 2009 decision.
The European Commission, which acts as EU competition regulator, penalised Intel with its largest ever corporate fine because of anticompetitive tactics against arch-rival AMD Inc.
The decision came after an eight-year-long investigation.
Intel will argue its case in a four-day hearing at the Luxembourg-based General Court on July 3 to 6, said two people familiar with the case.
The company has said the fine, which represented 4.15% of its 2008 turnover, was "manifestly disproportionate."
EU regulators can penalise companies with fines of up to 10% of their global revenue.
Intel has already gained backing from the European Ombudsman, who censured the Commission for procedural errors in its investigation.
In his non-binding report issued five months after the regulatory finding, the Ombudsman said he had found "maladministration" because the regulator had failed to make a proper note of a meeting with computer maker Dell Inc during its probe. - Reuters