Intel Fine Defended After WSJ Says EU Ombudsman Criticized Case

European Union regulators defended their handling of a case against Intel Corp. that resulted in a record 1.06 billion-euro ($1.5 billion) fine against the world’s biggest computer-chip maker.

The EU’s ombudsman criticized the European Commission on the way it handled the case against Intel, the Wall Street Journal reported. The EU watchdog said the antitrust regulator failed to record “potentially exculpatory” evidence from a witness in its investigation, the newspaper said.

“The commission has fully respected Intel’s right of defense,” Alain Bloedt, a spokesman for the Brussels-based European Commission, said by telephone today.

The commission, the EU’s executive and regulatory branch, accused Intel in May of using rebates to thwart competitors. After an eight-year investigation, it ordered Intel to stop giving unlawful discounts to computer makers that buy all or almost all their chips from Intel.

Santa Clara, California-based Intel has appealed the ruling, and said that the European Commission “misinterpreted and ignored evidence.”

The antitrust fine was the biggest in the 27-nation EU’s history, more than double the 497 million-euro penalty against Microsoft Corp. in 2004. Advanced Micro Devices Inc., which originally filed the antitrust complaint to the EU, has been struggling to make inroads into Intel’s hold on 80 percent of the market for processors that run PCs. link.....