AMD Strengthens Arsenal for Attack on Intel

Online staff -- Electronic News, 7/5/2005

Advanced Micro Devices Inc. has won a motion to serve document preservation subpoenas against third parties as part of the antitrust suit it filed against Intel Corp. last week.

The motion, which was granted by the United States District Court of Delaware shortly after it was filed on July 1, could be the smoking gun that AMD needs to prove Intel has maintained its monopoly in the x86 microprocessor market by coercing customers to ban AMD.

The motion sought a judicial order permitting AMD to move forward to preserve relevant evidence that is in the possession of specified third parties, including large-scale computer makers, small system builders, wholesale distributors and retailers. AMD’s counsel will “engage in discussions with 30 third parties in an effort to implement the order so as to preserve evidence while imposing on them as little an administrative burden as possible,” the company said in a statement.

Intel so far has not spoken out on this latest development, though Intel president and CEO Paul Otellini said in a statement last week, “We unequivocally disagree with AMD’s claims and firmly believe this suit will be resolved favorably.”