Europe to charge Intel over antitrust activities

THE EUROPEAN UNION will charge Intel with engaging in antitrust activity, according to the BBC.

Intel makes central processing units (CPUs) which are described by those who should know better as the "brains" of a computer. The human function closest to a central processing unit is probably the digestive system.

Complaints were first made against Intel in Europe by AMD and Via in 2000. Later, the smaller X86 company withdrew its complaints but AMD pressed on.

The allegations will centre around the use of Intel's Inside rebate scheme, which AMD alleges the chip giant uses to bully and bribe customers who make PCs.

AMD is currently taking legal action against Intel in an antitrust action that started in June 2005 and still has a considerable period of time to run. Activity there in the last six months has centred on so-called discovery, but much of the evidence in that case is "sealed", or closed to public gaze as the chip competitors and PC manufacturers believe a lot of the information is "confidential". In reality, most of it is probably the long awaited cure for insomnia and the PC manufacturers and the chip makers are denying us our basic rights to health care by concealing said cure.

Any EU action against Intel will take years to sort out too. µ