Insider Trading, Kickbacks Cut Deep: Firing Line

Oh, and by the way, they produce a solid product. During the same time frame, AMD has risen from $2 to just north of $6. Not a bad return in this David vs. Goliath struggle.

On the other hand, it does appear that some of these tactics could be anti-competitive. Paying "rebates" to companies who only use their chips and pulling the rebates while threatening to withhold payment to companies that begin using AMD chips is either good business or it's illegal.

As a political science major, I have one opinion. But as a guy born and raised in Jersey, I also have another opinion.

Firing line: Business is combat. There's a winner and a loser. But even combat has rules and regulations that both sides are supposed to abide by. As we've seen in recent years, unfortunately not everyone fights by the rules and it can be painful for the side that does, especially if there's no referee, or at least an impartial one, to enforce the rules. The decision a business leader needs to make is how he or she wants to win. Historically, the side that emerges victorious is the one with its dignity intact.

-- Written by Matthew "Whiz" Buckley in Chicago.

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