What would you think if it turned out that for example the perceived best cyclist in the world became the best by cheating and using unethical means to achieve the wins?
How would you feel about ASICMiner if it turned out that their success was the result of a scam, in this case a competitor's key insider leaking information or hampering his own company's progress?
If it turned out that ASICMiner's success was the result of cheating or unlawful behavior, that means that as soon as that cheating or unlawful behavior was exposed and stopped, their success would also stop.
Thus: Cheating exposed would ruin ASICMiner share prices.
As it turns out, the person claiming this probably wasn't aware of what they were saying and probably didn't intend to cause such suspicions, but to make absolutely sure there wasn't a shred of truth in the accusations, I had to ask :-)
.b
Although I don't believe this is the case, if I (everyone) found out it was true, what really is there to stop it? Realistically, the price of AM would spike, as there are no regulations to stop it. Taking a step back, on a personal level I'd like to think that I am investing in a company that can just "win" based on their technical strengths, but as an investor, I am ok with this theory. (I'd not want to be a US investor in Avalon Inc, or a potential buyer of Avalon equipment.)
IE: I think this rumor is hogwash, because Friedcat seems a great fellow that I'd love to take out for beers, but I think if it were true, as shareholders, we should sorta be celebrating, and hoping there is some truth to this rumor.
-helixone