Intel sued for bullying by New York City prosecutor
INTEL was sued yesterday by New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, who accused the world’s largest chipmaker of scheming to maintain monopoly power in the market for microprocessors.
In an 87-page lawsuit filed in a Delaware federal court, Cuomo said Intel violated state and federal antitrust laws through a “systematic worldwide campaign” of illegal threats, bullying and coercion designed to maintain a stranglehold on the market for microprocessors.
He said the firm for several years has bribed or coerced computer makers such as Dell, Hewlett-Packard and IBM to use its microprocessors and not use those of rivals, in exchange for “billions of dollars” of payments.
He added Intel resorted to “bullying” customers that did not play along. Intel’s microprocessors power more than 80 per cent of the world’s PCs.
