New York state launched a formal investigation on Thursday to determine if Intel Corp, the world's biggest chip maker, violated state and US antitrust laws to squeeze out rival Advanced Micro Devices Inc.
New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo said his office had issued a wide-ranging subpoena seeking documents and information after a preliminary probe raised questions about whether Intel coerced customers to exclude AMD, its main rival, from the worldwide market for microprocessors, the main computing engines of PCs.
Intel is facing similar investigations in Europe and Asia. Federal antitrust enforcers in Washington have so far declined to take up the matter. "Our investigation is focused on determining whether Intel has improperly used monopoly power to exclude competitors or stifle innovation," Cuomo said in a statement. "We will also look at whether Intel abused its power to remove competitive threats or harm competition in violation of New York and federal antitrust laws."
An Intel spokesman said the Santa Clara, California, company, which has long been accused of anti-competitive practices, declined immediate comment. The company has usually either prevailed in the disputes with rivals or regulators, or settled them. AMD said it had been contacted by Cuomo's office. "I can confirm that we have received a subpoena, too," said spokesman Drew Prairie, who declined to give any details.