Intel: We will produce foreign documents in AMD antitrust case

by Nate Anderson

Though not yet stretching to the epic lengths of Jarndyce and Jarndyce, the AMD v. Intel antitrust lawsuit has been going for well over a year and is still mired in arguments about what materials will be allowed in the discovery phase of the trial. One of those arguments has just been settled as Intel has bowed to the decision of the case's special master, Vince Poppiti, and agreed to release documents about its foreign business practices.

In a letter to Judge Joseph Farnan, Intel's law firm says that the company will not be filing any objections to the special master's report. "While Intel obviously had hoped for a different outcome regarding discovery, Intel of course will comply with the Special Master's decision and will respond to discovery as the Special Master directs," said the letter, though it also noted that Poppiti was not making any claims about the admissibility of any evidence uncovered during discovery.

AMD has accused Intel of violating antitrust law by giving out cash payments or using discriminatory pricing in order to keep AMD from making any gains in the CPU market. AMD filed its lawsuit last year in federal court, though it suffered a setback in early 2006 when the judge ruled that US courts have no jurisdiction over Intel's alleged anticompetitive actions outside the US.

Intel wanted the judge to rule that this meant AMD should only be restricted to US information during discovery. AMD argued that it should be allowed to look for evidence in any part of Intel's business so long as the alleged offenses took place in the US, and Poppiti agreed earlier this month.

(c) www.arstechnica.com