AMD urges users to read its antitrust complaint

Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD) is hoping to win the support of U.S. legislators and average computer users alike in its antitrust lawsuit against Intel Corp.

The company will place a full-page advertisement in seven U.S. newspapers on Wednesday, explaining why it filed suit and encouraging newspaper readers to delve into the full text of its 48-page complaint, according to an e-mail from AMD.

The ad, entitled "Intel Antitrust Suit: Why AMD filed," says AMD's competitor has harmed and limited competition in the microprocessor industry. It goes on to accuse Intel of five actions which, while "just business" in most competitive situations, AMD believes are illegal when undertaken by a monopolist. The ad concludes with an invitation to download and read the full complaint AMD filed with the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware on Monday.

The style of that complaint is more literary than legalese, and for a legal document it makes unusually easy reading, according to one analyst.

"Legal documents are not usually as nicely written," said Brian Gammage, a vice president with industry analyst Gartner Inc.

AMD appears to be interested in winning more than just the legal battle against Intel, he said.

"This is partly about garnering public interest. The exposure this is going to gain is part of their objective," he said.

The seven newspapers chosen by AMD for its advertising campaign show that it is reaching out to a wide audience.

Top of the list is a local newspaper with specific appeal to the technology industry: The Austin American-Statesman covers the area around its main U.S. chip fabrication plant in Austin, Texas. Intel also has an office there, where around 550 employees work on designing its next generation of microprocessors. Another on the list, The Mercury News, in San Jose, California, is required reading in Silicon Valley, where both Intel and AMD are headquartered.

Legislators and political lobbyists are also targeted: the ad will appear in The Hill and Roll Call, two newspapers dealing with news from Washington, D.C.'s Capitol Hill.

The general business audience is not forgotten, as The Wall Street Journal is also on the list. And AMD will reach out to typical computer users -- whether at home or in businesses -- with ads in metropolitan dailies like The New York Times and The Washington Post.