Intel rebutted European Union antitrust charges at a closed-door hearing that it illegally used rebates to wrest sales from Advanced Micro Devices. Intel Chief Executive Paul Otellini and other officials attended the two-day hearing that started Tuesday in Brussels. The hearing will include statements from outside lawyers, economists and European consumer groups. The commission accused Intel in July of abusing its dominance "with the aim of excluding its main rival" from the market for personal-computer chips. The EU's investigation is part of a broader legal battle that also involves a U.S. lawsuit between the companies and investigations in Korea and Japan. Intel has said competition hurt both its own and Advanced Micro's earnings, a sign that the processor market is competitive enough. Intel could be fined up to 10 percent of annual sales for antitrust violations.
- Bloomberg News