Intel's EUR 1 Billion Fine Overturned: ECJ's Landmark Ruling

On October 24, 2024, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) confirmed the annulment by the General Court (GC) of the European Commission's (EC) decision to impose a EUR 1.06 billion fine on Intel for the abuse of a dominant position on the x86 Central Processing Units (CPUs) market, specifically through the use of exclusivity rebates granted to several computer manufacturers. With its judgment, the ECJ definitively settles a 15-years-long saga, rejecting the presumption that exclusivity rebates restrict competition and requiring the EC to conduct a detailed analysis to demonstrate any such restriction. The era of presuming that exclusivity rebates harm competition has ended with this judgment.