Wednesday is crunch day for Intel fine decision
- Autor:Ella Cai
- Zwolnij na:2017-09-04
On Wednesday the EU Court of Justice, Europe’s highest court, is expected to rule on the Intel anti-trust fine imposed eight years ago.
The ruling will have a big effect on how US companies react to EU legal penalties.
In 2009, Intel was hit with a $1.26 billion fine for abuse of a dominant market position by using various marketing strategems. Intel has fought the case ever since.
If Wednesday’s ruling goes Intel’s way, then US companies like Microsoft, Apple and Google, which have tended to accept EU anti-trust penalties, may see fighting the EU in court as a viable option.
The EU competition system has been seen as one in which the EU is prosecutor, jury and judge in its own cause so very unlikely to rule in favour of a legal opponent.
A win for Intel could embolden companies like Qualcomm and Apple, both still wrangling with the EU over legal issues, to accept the costs and effort involved in challenging the EU’s decisions.
The ruling will have a big effect on how US companies react to EU legal penalties.
In 2009, Intel was hit with a $1.26 billion fine for abuse of a dominant market position by using various marketing strategems. Intel has fought the case ever since.
If Wednesday’s ruling goes Intel’s way, then US companies like Microsoft, Apple and Google, which have tended to accept EU anti-trust penalties, may see fighting the EU in court as a viable option.
The EU competition system has been seen as one in which the EU is prosecutor, jury and judge in its own cause so very unlikely to rule in favour of a legal opponent.
A win for Intel could embolden companies like Qualcomm and Apple, both still wrangling with the EU over legal issues, to accept the costs and effort involved in challenging the EU’s decisions.
