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Frustration Over Lack Of Market Gains Led To AMD-Intel Suit: Page 4 of 5

"We are out to remedy the imbalance in the microprocessor sector that has been ignored for too long," he said. "Many industry insiders and observers have known for years that Intel uses its monopoly position to block competition by hurting its own customers and the industry at large."

Thomas McCoy, executive VP of legal affairs and chief administrative officer for AMD, says the company's suit "provides 48 pages of detail, naming 38 companies, analyzing seven separate forms of illegality spread across three continents, and adding up to one massive global antitrust violation.

"Despite being fully competitive with the best Intel has to offer, AMD's commercial desktop business is no greater now than it was in 2002. One hundred percent exclusive contracts are no coincidence," McCoy said.

Intel will "drag its feet" in an attempt to delay a hearing on the suit in which AMD will seek a tripling of damages, McCoy said, "but the government got the Microsoft case to trial in less than 18 months, and we'd like to get to trial by the end of 2006."

In the lawsuit, AMD also details its long and often litigious history with Intel. Back in the early '80s, AMD agreed to drop its internal processor developments and serve as a second source for Intel's 80286 processor. Although an agreement at the time required Intel to provide AMD with timely updates on its processor development, Intel instead engaged in a "deliberate effort to shackle AMD progress."