(Bloomberg) The EU’s General Court ruled in favor of Intel Corp. on Wednesday, relieving the chip maker of a $1.2 billion antitrust fine administered by the European Commission.
The court struck down a 2009 finding by the European Commission that stated that Intel abused its dominant position to issue rebates and payments that disadvantaged rival Advanced Micro Devices.
The court said the regulator’s analysis was incomplete and did not create a proper legal standard for establishing the competitive impact of the rebates. It further stated that it couldn’t find the harm created by Intel’s practices.
The ruling is seen as a strong defeat to the European Commission, which is yet to lose an antitrust case for at least 20 years. The regulators’ legal defense says the ruling could deter the European Commission from pursuing other antitrust cases.
EU Executive Vice President Margrethe Vestager said the commission will look at what it can learn from the judgment. The commission can still appeal the decision.
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