The saga began with the Commission imposing a fine on Intel for providing rebates to major computer manufacturers such as Dell, Hewlett-Packard, NEC, and Lenovo, in return for their commitment to purchase the majority of their chips from Intel. This move, regulators argued, was an attempt to stymie competition from AMD.

Typically, regulators are wary of rebates from dominant companies, fearing they could stifle competition. Conversely, companies contend that enforcers must demonstrate that such discounts indeed have anticompetitive effects before any sanctions are applied. Initially, the European Commission had levied a hefty fine of 1.06 billion euros ($1.14 billion) on Intel. However, this was overturned by a lower court.

Intel's position was further strengthened earlier this year when a court adviser noted that regulators had not conducted a thorough economic analysis.