AMD Files AntiTrust Lawsuit Against Intel in Federal Court

[DigitalKnight]

The link is here.

Interesting, I always figured something like this was in the works, I'm just somewhat surprised that it did not happen earlier. I don't watch the pre-built box market very much, but even I could see that there was far more Intel boxes then AMD boxes, but I always thought that this was due more to the fact that AMD just could not produce the number of proc's that Intel could then shady marketing.

Even if the courts don't find Intel in violation of the anti-trust laws this could mark a hard time for Intel.

DK.

[skool h8r]

So, it's happened to MS, now Intel and i can se why. Intel have been unfairly trying to make people buy their products. Amd will rule, like they always have.

[dsio]

Very unlikely. AMD is fragile. Very fragile. The K8 has earned it market share like nobody's business, and has bought them a brilliant repuation, which is even more valued that sheer profit. But AMD is a simple company. They make CPUs, and flash memory. Thats about it.

Intel, make CPUs, they make chipsets, they make billions of other types of microprocessor, the BIG one, that most people forget, is that there are more Intel video processors in the field, than Nvidia or ATI. Intel has its finger in every pie, and if they were killed in the CPU market, and I mean REALLY killed, say they lose market share to the point where it was a 50 50 split with AMD (AMD currently has about 18%), then they would still make a profit.

The flash memory market that AMD is stuck in, is not profitable these days. Its a flooded market, with invisible margins. Getting out of it could cost them more than staying in it and breaking even. Its an odd problem they have.

The flash division is what has brought their recent profits down considerably. That aside AMD's CPUs are selling, they are retiring debt, and they are making good choices. If there was a best course of action for AMD to take, it is definately exactly what they are doing now.

Having read the document, I think AMD has a case, and has a chance here of landing a blow on intel. I hope they dont though.

Intel's CPU division right now is a mess as it is. I want them to compete. They just cant right now, and that has to change. Only out of a competitive market can we, the customers win.

[Gizmo]

There is more behind this suit than alleged 'unfair competition'. AMD could have sued Intel any time in the past over that. I suspect that AMD may want to renegotiate the cross-licensing deal they have with Intel for the x86 stuff, and is using this as an excuse to do so.

[Kaitain]

Quite so - it's a little different now that AMD are the ones with the nicest innovations (x86_64, architectural/scalability improvements) and Intel are scrabbling to catch up.

[Gizmo]

Congrats DK! Front page! www.aoaforums.com

[Gizmo]

A little more news: EU antitrust regulators raided the offices of Intel in Milan Italy, Munich Germany, Madrid Spain, and Swindon England. They also visited a number of companies that manufacture or sell computers. Read more here.

[dsio]

I think even if they dont win the case, AMD would have to be happy with the intel offices being raided in multiple locations. As for using scare tactics to influence market share, obviously they have been doing it for ages. Whether that can be proved in a court of law is another question.

[alexkerhead]

Well, the thing about this is, if you're an AMD fanboy, you will support amd's actions, if you're not a fanboy, you will detest amd's actions.
I myself think AMD is looking for free handouts.

[keithwalton]

I do not approve of amd actions in the slightest (nor some of there other pr either which certainly needs updating) I tend to sit on the fence when it comes between intel/amd and nvidia/ati.
I currently have two generations of machines running which between them use one of each.
amd sure is changing of late and in my opinion for the worse. They no longer stand for good bang for buck chips and now there dragging there heals through the courts to achieve what exactly..
Reminds me of the whole creative vs. aureal, saga. Where creative kept on sueing aureal for patent infringements which were skeptical to say the least. creative lost on every occasion but in the end won because they drove aureal bankrupt in the process.

As for having your oponents offices raided, thats going abit far fetched. They're going for disruption effect.
I dont see why amd cant just get on with rolling out fab36 and producing more chips at a lower cost per unit. I did read that amd were wanting to move some production out to china but the german governement has blocked them, perhaps thats why they're sueing intel

[Gizmo]

I don't believe that AMD's suit against Intel has anything to do with fair competition, and the EU's raid on Intel is actually coincidental to the suit; it was done as part of the EU's ongoing investigation of Intel's business practices.

AMD is doing this to harass Intel into giving them something they want. As I mentioned above, I suspect that it may have something to do with the cross-licensing deal they have with Intel, where AMD has to license certain tech from Intel, and in exchange Intel gets unfettered access to all of AMD's patents.

Is it right or fair? No more so than Intel's business practices, and no less either.

[alexkerhead]

Well, as long as I can buy the intel products for a reasonible price, that is fair enough to me...lol