The European Commission slapped Intel with a record-breaking fine for antitrust in the past. The General Court, Europe's second highest court, has overturned a fine levied against the company in 2009. The Commission determined that Intel abused its dominant position in the market and harmed its rivals by giving incentives to manufacturers to use its chips instead of those from rival Advanced Micro Devices.
The General Court upheld the fine after the company appealed the decision. The court said that Intel tried to hide the anti-competitive nature of its practices. The fine was ordered to be re-examined by the highest court in the European Union. The case was sent back to the General Court because the Commission didn't consider how Intel's activity impacted its rival's ability to compete against it.
The General Court confirmed that the Commission carried out an incomplete analysis of the company's rebate scheme. The General Court has decided that it is not in a position to identify how the manufacturers were likely to have anticompetitive effects.
The company is currently trying to catch up to Advanced Micro Devices while also dealing with the global supply chain shortage. According to The Wall Street Journal, if the decision is appealed, it will return to the Court of Justice.
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