INTEL：出來混，總是要還的

作為芯片行業的巨無霸，Intel最終還是老老實實，不管自己對與錯，理性選擇之下，他還是決定打開錢包，付給對手AMD一筆12.5億美元的巨款，了結這兩個死對頭之間多年來沒完沒了的官司。

AMD所抱怨的無非是：你這位大哥，自己賺錢，也不能太狠，得稍微給我一點生存的機會。你不能老是用你已經獲得的關係和人家對你的害怕，來嚇唬人家，讓大量客戶不敢從我這裡進貨。

既然你那麼耍大牌，那麼，我就只好向“父母官”，美國的司法系統告你一個“不公平競爭”，反正我自己也活得難受，債台高築，盈利不佳，而且還時不時虧損。

這個例子，如果放在中國，會是一個什麼樣的結果？

中國需要讓更多的私營企業成長為巨無霸嗎？

如果國家繼續給予國營企業有形和無形的壟斷地位，那麼，那些現在還是幼苗的私營企業，又有沒有成長的空間和機會？

如果沒有，對於中國未來的經濟發展，到底是好事還是壞事？

如果中國想將自己打造成一個真正的世界經濟強國，那麼，它需要大量的真正意義上的私營巨無霸嗎？

這許多問題，值得有心人好好思考一下。

【附錄】 Intel To Pay $1.25B To AMD, Ends Legal Battles

10:33 AM ET 11/12/09
By Jerry A. DiColo

NEW YORK (Dow Jones)--Feuding chip rivals Intel Corp. (INTC) and Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD) agreed to settle all of their outstanding legal complaints, with Intel paying AMD $1.25 billion and agreeing to abide by a set of rules for how it conducts its business.

The agreement, which also includes a renewed five-year cross-license agreement, comes as Intel faces an increasing amount of scrutiny from government regulators regarding alleged anticompetitive practices in how it sells chips.

Intel and AMD make nearly all the chips used to run computers and servers, though the much larger Intel controls roughly 80% of the market.

AMD shares surged on the news, rising as much as 26% to a new 52-week high of $6.73. The stock recently traded at $6.50, up 22% on the day. Intel shares gained 0.7% to $19.98, likely reflecting relief over the settlement.

Legal and regulatory battles have increasingly been turning against Intel, and Roger Kay, president of Endpoint Technologies Associates, which tracks the field, said that by settling, Intel may have alleviated some of the pressure regarding the cases brought by others.

"It was only going to get more expensive the farther down the litigation road they went, and this takes a lot of wind out of the sails of the other suits," Kay said.

"Intel may have just reduced its legal tab by a number of billions of dollars."

The settlement was sorely needed for AMD, which has struggled with mounting losses and high debt levels related to its acquisition of graphics chip-maker ATI Technologies. With the lawsuit and other legal disputes now behind it, the company removes a serious investor concern, said Wedbush Morgan analyst Patrick Wang.

"AMDs liquidity issues are going to be taken away," Wang said. "This is something that is going to take away a major overhang for investors."

For years, AMD has complained about Intel's dominance and chip-pricing practices, with a long-awaited antitrust lawsuit set to begin in March. This year, the European Commission levied the largest antitrust fine in its history against Intel for anticompetitive practices. And earlier this month, New York's attorney general filed a lawsuit against Intel alleging the company threatened computer makers and paid huge kickbacks to stop them using competitors' chips.

"We look forward to healthy competition with the mutual respect one would expect between world class competitors," AMD Chief Executive Dirk Meyer said in a conference call to discuss the settlement.

Meyer also thanked regulators for their diligence in trying to create a competitive marketplace.

As part of the patent licensing pact, Meyer said that GlobalFoundries, AMD's joint manufacturing venture, is no longer required to operate as a subsidiary of AMD.

Intel said as a result of the settlement, its fourth-quarter effective tax rate will be about 20%, not the 26% previously expected. The company's other forecasts are unchanged.