New York Attorney-General takes action against Intel

The state of New York has filed an antitrust lawsuit against microchip manufacturer Intel, accusing the company of engaging in illegal contact with manufactures Dell, IBM and HP.

The suit alleges that the company paid the manufacturers billions in order to obtain exclusive deals, edging out rival company AMD.

“Rather than compete fairly, Intel used bribery and coercion to maintain a stranglehold on the market,” attorney general Andrew 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. These illegal tactics must stop and competition must be restored to this vital marketplace.”

Cuomo alleged the payments were sometimes higher than a manufacturer’s quarterly income.