ON MANY OCCASIONS before we've shown how Intel became Microsoft's partner in crime, an accomplice [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]. Unlike Microsoft, Intel gets a break too often, but it should not be passed over. At the bottom we append many previous posts rather than repeat lists of offences with accompanying evidence.
Samsung was one of the firms named in the suit as having been bullied into choosing Intel CPUs over AMD's back in 2002. Apparently, Intel "continuously requested" Samsung stop buying from its competitors, and when the word "please" didn't work, Intel decided to get abusive, significantly reducing its volume of rebates to the electronics giant in the first and second quarter of 2002. Chipzilla then asked again. With a little ‘aggressive' tone on the "please" no doubt.
Come May 2002, Intel purportedly realised it needed to take things to another level, implementing a "long term support plan" offering sweeteners like maximum-level rebates on the condition, of course, Samsung spent its cash buying blue.
The AAI document reckons Intel put an $800 million rebate proposal on the table in exchange for Samsung dumping AMD CPUs. No prizes for guessing whether or not Samsung took the bait. After all, it would be bad business not to, right? To hell with the moral high-ground.
The Korea Fair Trade Commission issued a decision late in 2008 finding Intel liable for abuse of dominance in the microchip market. This 131-page document has not been available in English. This translation by AAI Research Fellow Byung-Geon Lee presents the highlights.
--Honor de Balzac
Comments
Yuhong Bao
2009-05-06 06:46:24
Kabatology
2009-05-14 14:05:08
Roy Schestowitz
2009-05-14 14:07:52