NY's attorney general files antitrust lawsuit against Intel

NEW YORK, Nov. 4 (Xinhua) -- New York's attorney general, Andrew M. Cuomo, filed a federal antitrust lawsuit Wednesday against Intel, charging the chip maker violated state and federal laws by abusing its dominant position in the chip market.

The Intel logo is advertised on a computer at an electronic store  in Phoenix, Arizona Nov. 4, 2009. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

"Rather than compete fairly, Intel used bribery and coercion to maintain a stranglehold on the market," Mr. Cuomo said in a statement.

"Intel's actions not only unfairly restricted potential competitors, but also hurt average consumers who were robbed of better products and lower prices," he added.

The New York attorney general's suit is the first formal antitrust action against Intel by any government agency in the United States in more than a decade, said The New York Times.

The Federal Trade Commission has been investigating Intel since2008, but has not begun formal proceedings against the company.

Intel has also faced similar lawsuits in Asia and Europe, and in May the European Commission fined the company a record 1.45-billion-U.S. dollar for antitrust violations.

Intel has denied the charges and has filed an appeal against the European Commission's ruling.