HP files case against optical disk drive companies for rigging prices

By IVCPOST Staff Reporter

Oct 25, 2013 09:31 PM EDT

Hewlett-Packard Co has filed a case against three optical disk drive manufacturers. The world's largest personal computer maker said Toshiba Corp, Samsung Electronics Co and LG Electronics worked together to fix prices on the products HP bought from them. The price-fixing reached billions of dollars on the disk drives purchased from 2004 to 2010. HP filed two separated complaints in a Houston federal court yesterday.

HP alleged that the companies shared confidential data and rigged bids. The companies controlled 90% of the optical disk drive market, according to HP.

In one complaint, HP said, "Many of the defendants and their co-conspirators have a long history of collusion; have been involved in antitrust investigations into other technology-related products; and/or have admitted to participating in anticompetitive cartels involving technology-related or other products."

The lawsuits came after the US Justice Department had conducted investigations about bid-rigging and price-fixing claims in the optical disk drive industry. HP also cited the guilty plea made by Hitachi-LG Data Storage Inc to antitrust violations in its complaint.

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