As AMD's war against Intel rages on, a former FTC employee claims that AMD's case and a past Microsoft anti-trust case could lead to U.S. regulators investigating Intel again.
In 1999, the U.S. Fair Trade Commission investigated Intel. At that time, an anti-trust case against Microsoft was under way. Now that the MS case has been settled, making the law clearer, and that AMD has taken legal action against Intel, former FTC policy director David Balto feels the FTC could now take another look at Intel.
Speaking to Investors.com Balto said that "A lot of the facts [about Intel's practices] were true five years ago when the FTC looked at Intel, but the law wasn't as good then." Could the clarification of the law that came as a result of the Microsoft case turn the tables on Intel? This could make Microsoft one of AMD's greatest allies, all thanks to a past case.
Of course, even if the FTC do investigate Intel again, they aren't obliged to find Intel conducting illegal activity. Still, a new investigation would surely put a smile on the faces of AMD lawyers and management.
