Reports: EU Renews Investigation Of Intel

The Associated Press reported Tuesday that EU spokeswoman Amelia Torres said the investigation was in an early stage and that it is "too early to say if we have a case." The probe was prompted by Intel's long-time competitor in processors, Advanced Micro Devices, Torres indicated.

The two firms have waged one of the most celebrated battles in the computer industry for decades. Earlier this spring, the EU began looking at a separate complaint from AMD that some European governments unfairly favored Intel over AMD in procurement practices. That issue, which hasn't yet been resolved, focused more on price fixing and procurement than on monopoly issues.

The latest investigation is at least partially a rekindling of the EU's 2001 probe, in which Intel was cited for abusing "its dominant position in the market for Windows-capable microprocessors by engaging in abusive marketing practices," according to the earlier citation against the U.S. processor manufacturer. That investigation was dropped in 2002.

Intel has said it believes its business practices are fair and lawful. The new EU probe is reportedly being carried out by the same team that investigated Microsoft.

*This story courtesy of Techweb.com.