FTC Rejects Intel's Request to Bar Commissioner Rosch From Suit

The Federal Trade Commission turned down a motion by Intel that sought to bar a commissioner from participating in the agency's antitrust lawsuit against the company, the world's largest chipmaker. The FTC rejected Intel's argument that Commissioner J. Thomas Rosch should stand aside because he served as an antitrust lawyer for the company between 1987 and 1993. Both Intel's motion and the commission's response were published on the FTC's Web site on Jan. 20. The U.S. government accused Intel in December of illegally using its dominant market position to stifle competition and bolster its monopoly. The FTC also accused Intel of using similar tactics to fend off competition from graphics chipmaker Nvidia Corp.