EU brings charges against Intel

Intel declined to confirm or comment on the reports, but Commission spokespersons were quoted in reports as saying that the chip firm has been sent notification of the charges.

The charges stem from Intel's practices during its war with rival chipmaker AMD. Intel allegedly engaged in a campaign of 'illegal acts' to convince vendors to abandon AMD chips in favour of Intel's. 

AMD has brought similar actions against its rival in Japan and the US. 

The filings mark the end of an investigation that dates back to 2000, when AMD first filed a complaint.

The investigation has included raids on Intel's European offices and has at times spilled over into a public war of words between the two companies. 

The news comes at an otherwise buoyant time for Intel. The company announced solid profits last quarter, while AMD reported a huge US$600m second-quarter loss. 

Intel also continues to enjoy an exclusive market for its quad-core processors as AMD works to get its quad-core chips to market.

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