Intel, FTC in talks to settle antitrust suit
Intel Corp. and the Federal Trade Commission are in talks to settle an antitrust lawsuit in which the Santa Clara, Calif., company has been accused of strong-arming clients into buying its computer chips.
According to a statement from Intel, the company has until July 22 to “review and discuss a proposed” settlement. Intel said it could not comment because the terms of the proposed consent order were confidential.
If the two parties do not reach an agreement by that date, the case could go before an administrative law judge in September. If the judge rules against Intel, the company could be forced to change the way it prices its products and could be ordered to share intellectual property with competitors.
The FTC filed charges against Intel last December. At the time, Richard A. Feinstein, director of the FTC’s bureau of competition, said in a statement that Intel had “engaged in a deliberate campaign to hamstring competitive threats to its monopoly. It’s been running roughshod over the principles of fair play and the laws protecting competition on the merits.”
Last November, Intel paid $1.25 billion to Advanced Micro Devices Inc. to settle antitrust claims.
