Intel subpoenaed in antitrust case

Chip giant faces showdown with Federal Trade Commission

Intel has promised to cooperate fully with the FTC investigation

The US Federal Trade Commission is pushing forward with an antitrust case against Intel.

The chipmaker revealed on Friday that it had received a subpoena from the FTC and would be cooperating fully with the investigation.

Intel issued a statement denying any wrongdoing, and insisting that there is "compelling evidence that this industry is fiercely competitive".

"For example, prices for microprocessors declined by 42.4 per cent from 2000 to the end of 2007," the firm said.

The FTC has been investigating Intel since 2006 when AMD filed a complaint accusing Intel of illegally making deals with PC vendors to use Intel chips exclusively.

AMD has also filed complaints and pushed for antitrust cases against Intel with regulatory bodies in Korea and the European Union.

Intel contends that its lead in the marketplace comes not from backroom deals, but from superior products and business practices.

"When competitors perform and execute the market rewards them," the company said. "When they falter and under-perform the market responds accordingly."