[sclug] Intel Raided

[Alex Butcher]

On Thu, 14 Feb 2008, Jason Rivers wrote:

> I'm sure the conversation last night went down the line of intel weren't
> raided, it was the DSG Group...
>
> http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/Intel-raided-EC,news-27473.html
>
>                  In addition to Intel, investigators said they also raided
> "a number of PC retailers", which, according
>                  to the Associated Press, included Germany-based Media
> Markt as well as Britain's DSG group, which
>                  operates Dixons, Currys, PC City and PC World. The EC
> noted that such "surprise" inspections are a
>                  preliminary step in investigations into suspected
> infringements of EC competition law.
>
> so intel WERE Raided then?

Yup.

I've bought exclusively Intel-based systems over the last 13 years (apart
from one wholly disappointing experiment with an ECS/SiS/AMD system about 10
years ago), so some may perceive me as having a pro-Intel axe to grind. That
said...

I'm not sure that the choice of organisations raided makes much sense.
Intel's customers are the OEMs like HP, Compaq and so on. I doubt Intel has
much direct influence over which systems a retailer such as DSG chooses to
include in their line-up, and most OEMs do include AMD-based systems in
their range. Note also that there is a political/economic context to this in
that AMD has fab facilities in Dresden, Germany, whereas I'm unaware of any
EU-based fabs that Intel operates. Finally, as the EC say themselves, there
are only "a preliminary step" - innocent until found guilty and all that.

> /J

Best Regards,
Alex.
-- 
Alex Butcher, Bristol UK.                           PGP/GnuPG ID:0x5010dbff

"[T]he whole point about the reason why I think it is important we go for
identity cards and an identity database today is that identity fraud and
abuse is a major, major problem. Now the civil liberties aspect of it, look
it is a view, I don't personally think it matters very much."
  - Tony Blair, 6 June 2006 <http://www.number-10.gov.uk/output/Page9566.asp>