The largest chipmaker Intel has been found guilty as charged by the EU for abusing its dominant market position, with the chipmaker being fined a record €1.06 billion ($1.45 billion), according to BBC.

The commission has found that between 2002 and 2007, Intel had paid manufacturers and a retailer to favour its chips over those of AMD. The personal computer makers Acer, Dell, HP, Lenovo and NEC had all been given hidden rebates if they only used Intel chips. The commission also found that Media Saturn, which owns Europe’s biggest consumer electronics retailer Media Market, had been given money so that it would only sell computers containing Intel chips.

“Intel has harmed millions of European consumers by deliberately acting to keep competitors out of the market for computer chips for many years,” said Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes, “such a serious and sustained violation of the EU’s antitrust rules cannot be tolerated.” The commission has also ordered Intel “to cease the illegal practices immediately to the extent that they are still ongoing”.