Microchips and Monopolies

[Commentary] Following a 16-month-long formal investigation, and years of dithering during the Bush administration, the Federal Trade Commission is reportedly within weeks of filing an antitrust complaint against Intel for abusing its dominant position in the microchip market to shut out a smaller rival, Advanced Micro Devices. The rest of the world has not waited. Four out of five PCs in the world run on Intel's microchips. If Intel is abusing its outsize clout to marginalize rivals and hinder the development of competitive products, it should be made to stop.