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Thursday, April 18, 2024 | Back issues
Courthouse News Service Courthouse News Service

Japanese Man Indicted on Price Fixing Charges

WASHINGTON (CN) - A federal grand jury has returned an indictment against a Japanese citizen for conspiring to fix global prices for a component of Dell computer screens. The indictment is the last in the Department of Justice's ongoing antitrust investigation, bringing the total value of fines to $585 million.

Between 2001 and 2004, Sakae Someya conspired to set the price of Thin Film Transistor-Liquid Crystal Displays, which are used in Dell, Apple, and Motorola screens, said a statement from the Department of Justice.

Someya organized meetings to discuss the prices of TFT-LCD panels, issued price quotations, sold the panels at noncompetitive prices, and agreed to fixed prices, says the indictment.

He is charged with violating the Sherman Act and could be fined more than $1 million in addition to a maximum 10 year potential prison term.

The investigation has now snared 4 companies and 8 individuals. LG Display Co., Sharp Corp., Chunghwa Picture Tubes Ltd., and Hitachi Displays Ltd. all pleaded guilty to conspiring to fix the price of TFT-LCD panels, and paid $400 million, $120 million, $65 million, $31 million respectively in criminal fines.

Chieng-Hon Lin, Chih-Chun Liu, Hsueh-Lung Lee, Cheng Yuan Lin, Wen Jun Cheng, and Duk Mo Koo, Chang Suk Chung were all found guilty.

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