For once, America is running at top speed to catch up with the European Union. In levying a record fine against Intel, the world's largest chipmaker, the EU competition authorities have let it be known that a dominant company's efforts to crush rivals by threatening customers or rigging a price schedule will not be tolerated.

As American regulators slept through the past eight years, several authorities overseas decided that the Intel Corporation has been abusing its near monopoly position in the microchip market to squeeze out its smaller rival Advanced Micro Devices, constraining consumers' choice.

In announcing the record fine Wednesday, the European Commission released only the barest of details about the strong-arm tactics employed by Intel.

This European Commission has concluded its exhaustive investigation, spanning nearly nine-years, resulting in one clear ruling – Intel broke the law. And it is the third straight ruling of its kind.

According to the Korean commission Intel's rebate system was "not a volume discount program but a system where the amount of rebates is reduced or increased according to fulfillment of conditions involving exclusion of competitors, through the determination of ECAP applied items, amount of discounts, and payment of MDF, regardless of partner's purchasing volume".

Intel Corp (INTC.O) could face a hefty fine from EU regulators over charges it fiddled with retail channels to suppress competitors, but of more concern could be any fresh rules imposed by the EU.

On January 27, 2009 the EU Court of First Instance (CFI) rejected Intel's application for interim measures intended to delay the European Commission's antitrust proceedings against it. The text of the CFI Order is available here

Has Intel been coercing personal computer (PC) makers into buying more of its chips, and fewer from industry rivals, to maintain its virtual monopoly on the market?

Intel was supposed to hand over its defense to the European Union antitrust watchdog by Oct. 17, but the deadline has passed and the commission hasn't received anything from the company.

A long-standing gag order on a major antitrust case needs to be lifted, according to a motion filed today by news organizations and the Computer & Communications Industry Association.

Plaintiffs in an antitrust class action against Intel Corp. have blasted the chip maker for dragging its feet in a discovery process already slowed by a yearlong spat over lost documents.

Special Master Says Intel Must Show Notes to AMD Regarding Missing Evidence

Cuomo’s move comes as no surprise to close observers of the worldwide scrutiny of Intel’s anticompetitive actions. Intel’s behavior is not confined to New York; from Japan to South Korea to Europe, antitrust investigations into Intel’s practices are discovering sophisticated patterns of anti-consumer and anticompetitive behavior.

Intel Corp. executives and lawyers appeared before European Commission officials in an effort to fend off antitrust action by the European regulator, which suspects the chip giant of anticompetitive practices.

Intel Corp. is appearing before the European Commission to answer charges that it abused its dominant market position, particularly against rival Advanced Micro Devices.

The European Consumers’ Organization, BEUC, has intervened in the current competition case arising from complaints against Intel from AMD. BEUC believes the good functioning of a market is a core element of consumer welfare.

An antitrust hearing has been held in Brussels today in which Intel was given an opportunity to present its defense- confidentially- to the very serious charges of abusive and anti competitive behavior against AMD and a host of technology companies in an effort to drive AMD out of business.