This morning the New York Times sides with the EU’s findings on Intel’s illegal exploitation of its monopoly:
Since 2005, regulators in Japan and South Korea have ruled against Intel. This month the European Commission slapped the company with a $1.44 billion fine. It found that Intel has been giving hidden rebates to computer makers that bought all or virtually all of their chips from Intel and paying some to delay or hinder the introduction of products that had A.M.D. microprocessors.
Intel denies those accusations, arguing that the volume rebates it offers never carried the alleged quid pro quos. The company appealed the Korean fine and said it would appeal the European decision.
which I commented on a few days ago. What has created this situation is the high standard for harm to the consumer that the U. S. government has established before pursuing a case against monopolies. As we saw in the Microsoft case even when the case has been pursued and won American judges haven’t had the guts to take genuinely remedial action.
The terribly sad thing about the state of affairs that has come about here is that, just as Chicago politicians who don’t understand what they’ve done wrong in the corrupt actions they’ve engaged in their entire careers, Intel executives don’t honestly know what they’ve done wrong in engaging in anti-competitive practices to beat down their business rivals. It’s just been business as usual.
