"In December 2003, the Department charged Alfred P. Censullo, a Regional Sales Manager for Micron Technology Inc., with obstruction of justice in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1503. Censullo pleaded guilty to the charge and admitted to having withheld and altered documents responsive to a grand jury subpoena served on Micron in June 2002."[1]
On 20 October 2004, Infineon also pleaded guilty. The company was fined US$160M for its involvement, then the third largest antitrust fine in US history. In April 2005, Hynix Semiconductor was fined US$185M after they also admitted guilt. In October 2005, Samsung entered a guilty plea in connection with the cartel.[4]
On 5 April 2006, Sun Woo Lee, Senior Manager of DRAM at Samsung Electronics, entered into a plea bargain with the US Government for his involvement in the price fixing conspiracy.[5] Following the plea agreement he was sentenced to 8 months in prison and fined US$250,000.[6] Lee was subsequently promoted to President of Samsung Germany in 2009, and then President of Samsung Europe in 2014.
On 19 May, 2010, European antitrust regulators also fined nine semiconductor manufacturers more than €331 million for the cartel that operated back in 2002. The companies fined are Samsung Electronics, Infineon, Hynix Semiconductor, Elpida Memory, NEC Electronics, Hitachi, Toshiba, Mitsubishi Electric and Nanya Technology. Micron Technology received immunity for blowing the whistle on the cartel and will not be fined for its involvement. [7]
2017–2018edit
On 27 April 2018, Hagens Berman filed a class-action lawsuit against Samsung, Hynix, and Micron in U.S. District Court alleging the trio engaged in DRAM price fixing causing prices to skyrocket through 2016 and 2017.[8] Between June 2016 and January 2018, the price of DRAM nearly tripled.[9]
Referencesedit
^Gaudin, Sharon (2006-12-22). "Samsung Exec Gets Jail Time For Role In DRAM Price-Fixing Scandal". CRN.
^Gross, Grant (2004-09-15). "Infineon to pay $160M fine for DRAM price-fixing". Computerworld.
^Smith, Tony. "Memory makers hit by price-fixing claims". The Register. from the original on 2008-07-25. Retrieved 2007-08-01.
^ (Press release). US Department of Justice. 13 October 2005. Archived from the original on November 12, 2005. Retrieved 30 June 2010.
^UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. SUN WOO LEE (D.C. Cir. 2006), Text.
^"Samsung men 'admit' price fixing". BBC News. 2006-02-22. from the original on 2007-10-08. Retrieved 2016-04-08.
^"Antitrust: Commission fines DRAM producers € 331 million for price cartel; reaches first settlement in a cartel case". Europa.eu. 2010-05-19. from the original on 2023-10-20. Retrieved 2023-10-30.
^"DRAM Price Fixing". Hagens Berman Lawfirm. from the original on 2018-10-30. Retrieved 2018-10-29.
^. TechRepublic. Archived from the original on 2018-05-13.
External linksedit
This computing article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
dram, price, fixing, scandal, 2002, united, states, department, justice, under, sherman, antitrust, began, probe, into, activities, dynamic, random, access, memory, dram, manufacturers, response, claims, computer, makers, including, dell, gateway, that, inflat. In 2002 the United States Department of Justice under the Sherman Antitrust Act began a probe into the activities of dynamic random access memory DRAM manufacturers in response to claims by US computer makers including Dell and Gateway that inflated DRAM pricing was causing lost profits and hindering their effectiveness in the marketplace 1 2 DRAM SO DIMM To date five manufacturers have pleaded guilty to their involvement in an international price fixing conspiracy between July 1 1998 and June 15 2002 including Hynix Infineon Micron Technology Samsung and Elpida 3 Contents 1 2002 2005 2 2017 2018 3 References 4 External links2002 2005 edit In December 2003 the Department charged Alfred P Censullo a Regional Sales Manager for Micron Technology Inc with obstruction of justice in violation of 18 U S C 1503 Censullo pleaded guilty to the charge and admitted to having withheld and altered documents responsive to a grand jury subpoena served on Micron in June 2002 1 On 20 October 2004 Infineon also pleaded guilty The company was fined US 160M for its involvement then the third largest antitrust fine in US history In April 2005 Hynix Semiconductor was fined US 185M after they also admitted guilt In October 2005 Samsung entered a guilty plea in connection with the cartel 4 On 5 April 2006 Sun Woo Lee Senior Manager of DRAM at Samsung Electronics entered into a plea bargain with the US Government for his involvement in the price fixing conspiracy 5 Following the plea agreement he was sentenced to 8 months in prison and fined US 250 000 6 Lee was subsequently promoted to President of Samsung Germany in 2009 and then President of Samsung Europe in 2014 On 19 May 2010 European antitrust regulators also fined nine semiconductor manufacturers more than 331 million for the cartel that operated back in 2002 The companies fined are Samsung Electronics Infineon Hynix Semiconductor Elpida Memory NEC Electronics Hitachi Toshiba Mitsubishi Electric and Nanya Technology Micron Technology received immunity for blowing the whistle on the cartel and will not be fined for its involvement 7 2017 2018 editOn 27 April 2018 Hagens Berman filed a class action lawsuit against Samsung Hynix and Micron in U S District Court alleging the trio engaged in DRAM price fixing causing prices to skyrocket through 2016 and 2017 8 Between June 2016 and January 2018 the price of DRAM nearly tripled 9 References edit Gaudin Sharon 2006 12 22 Samsung Exec Gets Jail Time For Role In DRAM Price Fixing Scandal CRN Gross Grant 2004 09 15 Infineon to pay 160M fine for DRAM price fixing Computerworld Smith Tony Memory makers hit by price fixing claims The Register Archived from the original on 2008 07 25 Retrieved 2007 08 01 SAMSUNG AGREES TO PLEAD GUILTY AND TO PAY 300 MILLION CRIMINAL FINE FOR ROLE IN PRICE FIXING CONSPIRACY Press release US Department of Justice 13 October 2005 Archived from the original on November 12 2005 Retrieved 30 June 2010 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v SUN WOO LEE D C Cir 2006 Text Samsung men admit price fixing BBC News 2006 02 22 Archived from the original on 2007 10 08 Retrieved 2016 04 08 Antitrust Commission fines DRAM producers 331 million for price cartel reaches first settlement in a cartel case Europa eu 2010 05 19 Archived from the original on 2023 10 20 Retrieved 2023 10 30 DRAM Price Fixing Hagens Berman Lawfirm Archived from the original on 2018 10 30 Retrieved 2018 10 29 Samsung Hynix Micron sued for DRAM price fixing that could have raised PC prices TechRepublic Archived from the original on 2018 05 13 External links editFour Infineon Technologies Executives Agree to Plead Guilty in International DRAM Price Fixing Conspiracy Korean Company Hynix Agrees to Plead Guilty to Price Fixing nbsp This computing article is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title DRAM price fixing scandal amp oldid 1212304063, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
