FTC close to Intel deal

IT LOOKS LIKE Intel will manage to talk its way out of trouble with the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

The FTC and Intel have been negotiating since last month to meet a self-imposed July 22 deadline over the FTC's complaint that Chipzilla was playing monopoly.

According to Reuters Intel and the FTC have reached a preliminary agreement that wouldn't include a fine. Chipzilla will be limited in its use of volume discounts for its chips.

There will not be a fine because FTC doesn't have the power on its own to levy civil fines in antitrust cases.

This does not apply in more civilised countries like the European Union where the EU had the ability to really hit Intel where it hurt. The EU fined Chipzilla a record $1.45 billion at the time.

Intel had already written a large cheque for $1.25 billion to make AMD and its lawyers go away. µ