Intel, the world’s largest chip maker, filed an appeal Wednesday challenging the European Commission’s record EUR 1.06 billion fine and ruling in May that it had abused its dominance in computer processors by offering rebates to computer makers who used more of its chips.
“We believe that our policies and practices have always been legal and aboveboard,” said Robert Manetta, an Intel spokesman in London. “That is why we are taking our case to court.”
Intel filed the appeal in the European Court of First Instance in Luxembourg, the top European appeals court, which takes about two years to render an opinion.
Jonathan Todd, a spokesman for the commission, said the appeal had been expected. “The commission is confident that its decision is legally sound,” he said.
Intel, which is based in Santa Clara, California, has appealed similar cases in the United States and South Korea.
In 2007, the court rejected an appeal by Microsoft of a commission finding that the software maker had abused its dominance in operating systems to support its media player and servers.
The appeal will not delay Intel’s payment of the $1.45 billion fine, the largest ever assessed in Europe in a market-dominance case.
Mr. Manetta said the company planned to pay the fine in the current financial quarter. Setting aside $1.45 billion for the fine led Intel to report a $398 million loss in the second quarter, its first quarterly loss since 1988.
In its appeal, Mr. Manetta said, Intel was not asking the court to suspend the commission’s demands to change its rebate practices pending the outcome of the appeal. Intel would not release a transcript of its filing, Mr. Manetta said; the court plans only to release a summary of the filing in a few weeks.
Mr. Manetta said Intel was working to meet the commission’s demands but would not say…