Typically, the tied product may be a less desirable one that the buyer might not purchase unless required to do so, or may prefer to get from a different seller. If the seller offering the tied products has sufficient market power in the tying product, these arrangements can violate the antitrust laws.
In general, a hub refers to a hardware device that enables multiple devices or connections to be connected to a computer. An example is a USB hub, which allows multiple USB devices to be connected to one computer, even though that computer may only have a few USB connections. The picture to the right is an example of a USB hub. Note: In the Device Manager, the root hub is your computer and the first USB hub.
Hubs and Spokes. Most of the 12 major U.S. passenger airlines in operation as of 2001 use a hub-and-spoke network to route their plane traffic. The words hub and spoke create a pretty vivid image of how this system works.