European regulators raided Intel Corp offices in Britain, Germany, Spain and Italy, two weeks after rival US chipmaker Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) Inc filed lawsuits in Japan and the US claiming Intel violated antitrust rules.
On Tuesday, investigators also visited offices of companies that make or sell computers. Dell Inc offices in Britain were among them, said company spokesman Jess Blackburn in Austin, Texas.
Microprocessors from Intel, the world's leading chipmaker, dominate the global market in desktop computers that run Microsoft Corp's Windows operating system, accounting for 90 percent in revenue terms.
Sparked by complaints from AMD, the European Commission has for more than four years been investigating claims that Intel used unfair business practices to persuade clients to buy its microprocessors to the exclusion of rivals' chips.
In March, the EU said its probe was continuing after a Japanese investigation found that Intel had violated antitrust rules there. Japanese antitrust officials subsequently raided Intel offices there on April 8.
A statement from the EU head office said officials from the EU's antitrust department and national competition authorities participated in Tuesday's raids.
"Investigations are being carried out in the framework of an ongoing competition case," the European Commission said.
Officials declined to say which offices had been searched, reveal if documents had been taken or give further details.
Intel spokesman Chuck Mulloy said EU staffers visited company offices in Swindon, England; Munich, Milan and Madrid. He declined to say what data they sought.
The investigators spent several hours in the Dell offices, Blackburn said. He said he didn't know what the investigators were looking for or whether they removed anything.
Hewlett-Packard Co, another large computer maker, was not visited by investigators, said HP spokeswoman Monica Sarkar.
On June 27, AMD sued Intel for billions of dollars in Delaware federal court, claiming that Intel strong-armed 38 computer companies into buying Intel chips.
That lawsuit alleges that Intel has engaged in a "relentless" global campaign to maintain a monopoly over microprocessors.
AMD also cited Intel's Japanese unit, accusing Intel of violating Japan's antitrust laws and to damaging AMD.
"Today's dawn raids should come as good news to consumers across Europe," said Thomas McCoy, AMD's chief administrative officer.
"Every computer user has a strong interest in ensuring that the full truth about Intel's anticompetitive abuses is revealed and corrected," he said.
He does not believe the raids were sparked by AMD's lawsuit.
"This is their investigation," McCoy said. "I don't think they care about anything other than what they think is the right thing to do for the EU."
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