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Japanese Government Raids Intel Tokyo Offices
mordicus writes "Reuters
is reporting that Japanese Trade Officials have raided Intel's Japan Offices. From the article:
'Japan's fair trade watchdog raided the offices of Intel Corp's Japanese unit on
Thursday and a government source in Tokyo said the chip giant is suspected of violating
antitrust laws.' Japan seems to be rather vigilant in enforcing its antitrust legislation. Microsoft's Japanese unit was target of a
similar operation
less than two months ago."
Intel has been trying to stop Japanese OEMs from using AMD chips.
You are wrong if you think any American company is going to march into Japan and tell the Japanese how to run their business. Very wrong!
The Japanese are known for protecting their own, at any cost, from non-Japanese threats. To say such protectionism a cornerstone of their culture is an understatement. Chances are that Intel tried to go John Wayne* on their Japanese suppliers/distributors, and they replied to the threat in their own special way: Using Tokyo to respond for them.
* - Being an American currently living in Japan, I can say that acting American in a Japanese Business setting is like walking upto the plate, in baseball, with 2 strikes against you.
I suspect that this 'raid' is mostly political. Japan historically has vastly different standards between what Japanese companies can do and what foreign companies can do in Japan. If there is ever a question of whether to forward the interests of a Japanese company or apply the law as written fairly when such a situation would benefit the foreign company, the Japanese government will always support the local team.
Check out the dozens of books written about Japanese business-government practices with American companies in the 1980s.
With all respect due, I don't see how anyone could use the words 'Japanese anti-trust law' together seriously unless they are referring to a government-keiretsu coalition to destory a foreign company and assign their market to a Japanese concern. There's just too much history to suggest otherwise.
The Japanese gained over 80% market share for DRAM in the 80's, and then a mysterious fire destroyed a glue factory that was needed for some aspect of production. Alas, production dropped. DRAM prices went through the roof, and stayed that way until the Koreans broke the monopoly in the 90's.
But there was no hint of wrongdoing. Would you like some whale sushi?
---- "If we have to go on with these damned quantum jumps, then I'm sorry that I ever got involved" - Erwin Schrodinger