Intel's dominance in the x86 microprocessor market led to numerous charges of antitrust violations over the years, including FTC investigations in both the late 1980s and in 1999, and civil actions such as the 1997 suit by Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) and a patent suit by Intergraph. Intel's market dominance (at one time it controlled over 85% of the market for 32-bit x86 microprocessors) combined with Intel's own hardball legal tactics (such as its infamous 338 patent suit versus PC manufacturers) made it an attractive target for litigation, culminating in Intel agreeing to pay AMD $1.25 billion and grant them a perpetual patent cross-license in 2009 as well as several anti-trust judgements in Europe, Korea, and Japan.
Intel's dominance in the x86 microprocessor market led to numerous charges of antitrust violations over the years including FTC investigations in both the late 1980s and in 1999 and civil actions such as the 1997 suit by Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) and a patent suit by Intergraph Intel's market dominance (at one time it controlled over 85% of the market for 32-bit x86 microprocessors) combined with Intel's own hardball legal tactics (such as its infamous 338 patent suit versus PC manufacturers) made it an attractive target for litigation culminating in Intel agreeing to pay AMD $125 billion and grant them a perpetual patent cross-license in 2009 as well as several anti-trust judgements in Europe Korea and Japan