FTC v. Intel (2009-2010)
The FTC sued Intel for giving computer makers rebates tied to buying most of their chips from Intel, and for punishing makers that used AMD. Intel's payments kept AMD's competing chips out of key machines.
Intel settled in August 2010, agreeing to stop the conditional rebates and to pay the states involved.
The case marked a federal enforcement win against exclusive loyalty rebates that blocked a rival, cementing the theory that such payments can be illegal exclusion.
Corteva's loyalty program used the same mechanism: end-of-year payments conditioned on buying almost all requirements from the incumbent, squeezing out generic rivals.
