AMD pleads for foreign documents in Intel case

Advanced Micro Devices has filed a motion asking the court overseeing its antitrust case against Intel to allow it to gather material related to Intel's conduct outside of the U.S., after a judge's order last month appeared to quash foreign claims.

AMD is suing Intel for allegedly using its heft in the processor market to exclude AMD from certain PC or server companies through the selective distribution of rebates and marketing dollars. Intel has denied all charges, and won a round in September when the judge overseeing the case ordered AMD to limit its claims to damages that alledgedly occurred in the U.S. Since AMD stopped making processors in the U.S. in 2004 and since many PC industry customers are outside the U.S., limiting the claims just to damages that occurred inside the U.S. takes some steam out of AMD's case.

Now AMD wants the court to at least allow it to seek documents related to Intel's conduct outside of the U.S. to use as part of its antitrust case against its larger rival. AMD's argument is that Intel's alledged conduct in countries outside the U.S. forced AMD to scale down its domestic manufacturing due to the lack of demand. Even it if isn't entitled to pursue damages based on that alledged conduct outside the U.S., AMD would like to gather documents related to Intel's foreign business practices to use as part of the U.S. trial, a company representative said in an e-mailed statement.

Intel plans to file an answer to AMD's motion over the next couple of weeks, a company representative said. If this thing ever gets to a a trial, it won't be until April of 2009, according to AMD's statement.