They are making the thing. What they cannot do is see the future in all its particulars for anticipating how much of that thing to make. We alao don't want situations were we use up too many resources and end up with more ram than other chips (which would cause a different shortage).
These things are complicated, and people act like the mere existence of increased prices is evidence of malpractice. This is a naiive and juvenile attitude.
It isn't 'seeing the future', it is exercising your power in the present to control what futures are possible.
Like, for instance, forcing your customers to buy more chips than they can install, lest they be cut off entirely. Or increasing hypothetical demand artificially by breaking international smuggling laws using your girlfriend's shell company.
It is not 'naiive' (or naïve, even) to remember previous instances of crimes committed by exactly these companies using exactly the same tactics.
Unregulated markets create these predatory incentives, it shouldn't shock your or anyone that this has come to pass again.
Failure to enforce this kind of thing gives us shortages of eggs and insulin too; It is a real source of social harm.
These things are complicated, and people act like the mere existence of increased prices is evidence of malpractice. This is a naiive and juvenile attitude.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DRAM_industry_price_fixing has been linked elsewhere, but I'll link it again.
It isn't 'seeing the future', it is exercising your power in the present to control what futures are possible.
Like, for instance, forcing your customers to buy more chips than they can install, lest they be cut off entirely. Or increasing hypothetical demand artificially by breaking international smuggling laws using your girlfriend's shell company.
It is not 'naiive' (or naïve, even) to remember previous instances of crimes committed by exactly these companies using exactly the same tactics.
Unregulated markets create these predatory incentives, it shouldn't shock your or anyone that this has come to pass again.