European Commission investigators have raided the offices of Intel Germany in Munich as part of a wide-ranging probe into alleged antitrust violations by the world’s largest chipmaker. A European Union spokesperson said the raid is ongoing but refused to divulge the reasons.
“Commission officials carried out unannounced inspections at the premises of a manufacturer of central processing units and a number of personal computer retailers,” said Jonathan Todd, a commission spokesperson.
“I can confirm that there has been a raid on our offices in Munich,” Intel spokesperson Chuck Mulloy said. “As is our normal practice, we are cooperating with authorities.”
The EC also raided the offices of several computer retailers that it did not name. British retailer DSG International, which runs the Currys, PC World and Dixons chains, confirmed its offices in Hemel Hempstead, UK, were raided. “I can confirm that officials … are currently conducting an inspection … We are fully cooperating with the inspection,” a spokesman told media outlets.
France’s PPR group, which includes retailers Fnac, Surcouf and Conforama, also confirmed their offices had been searched. “I confirm that in the framework of an inquiry which it has opened into Intel that the Directorate General Competition is carrying out an inspection at the moment at the offices of PPR Purchasing,” a PPR spokesperson said. “PPR and the group’s companies are concerned by this inquiry only to the extent that they sell products made by Intel, among others.”
In a statement, the EC said: “The commission has reason to believe that the companies concerned may have violated … rules on restrictive business practices and/or abuse of a dominant market position.”
Not surprisingly, AMD welcomed the news. Giuliano Meroni, the company’s president for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, said: “This is an important expansion of the commission’s investigation into Intel’s illegal business practices…