Dell to protect email, data for AMD v Intel

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Dell Inc has agreed to retain email and other documents that could be used against its close partner Intel Corp in a private antitrust suit filed by Intel rival Advanced Micro Devices Inc, court papers show.

The agreement, filed on Wednesday in the US District Court in Delaware, comes as AMD presses its case against Intel, accusing the world's largest chip maker of using its market power to lock out AMD and its microprocessors from computer makers such as Dell, Hewlett-Packard and others.

Dell, the largest PC maker, buys microprocessors exclusively from Intel. The Texas-based PC maker agreed to preserve relevant information and copy hard drives of employees identified as "custodians" -- those who were involved in negotiating microprocessor purchases.

Among the 28 custodians listed were Michael Dell, the company's founder and chairman. Dell Inc reserved its right to contest a subpoena for the documents.

AMD has sought information on pricing, contracts and other information from dozens of PC makers and distributors, and virtually all companies in the United States and Japan have agreed to take steps to protect data, AMD's lead counsel, Chuck Diamond, said in an interview.

AMD began talks with companies on legal document preservation in early July, Diamond said. A process of culling millions of pages of documents will follow before the case goes to trial. AMD has already served a subpoena on PC maker Gateway Inc, according to court papers filed this week.

Dell declined to comment on the agreement. "We're just not going to comment because it is an ongoing court matter," Dell spokesman Jess Blackburn said. Intel spokesman Chuck Mulloy characterised the document preservation requests as procedural.

Intel and AMD at least agree on one thing. The case is poised to become the largest-ever electronic document discovery cases ever, as dozens of computer makers, distributors and retailers in countries around the world are called on to divulge data about their business relationships with Intel.