Samsung, Micron, Hynix, Infineon etc. charged with price fixing ram.......

Enjoy...


http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/10/13/samsung.price.fixing.ap/index.html

This is atleast 6 months old now.

Can't say I'm surprised.

Oh, so this is what our government is doing instead of going after the real problems: oil companies. And to think I voted for the dumbass in charge...TWICE?!

Jeeze... these guys have been convicted again? Or or is this the same charge?

I think infenion were similarly penalized.

wannaoc, no politics please. *knock knock Forum Rules*

The case is old, the new news is Samsung plead guilty and agreed to pay $300 million fine. Here is another source:

Link

Super Nade said:

I think infenion were similarly penalized

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Ya and its pretty sharp too. Hynix faces a 57% tariff and Infineon gets 46% on top of their MSRP when imported into this country. Its why we rarely use it

im sorry. im out of it, can someone please explain to me what happend? price fixing?

EvilCloudStrife said:

im sorry. im out of it, can someone please explain to me what happend? price fixing?

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Basically RAM companies were inflating the price for their chips.

IWasHungry said:

Basically RAM companies were inflating the price for their chips.

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wrong. price-fixing and 'inflating' prices are not the same.

http://www.forbes.com/home/technology/2005/10/13/samsung-verdict-rambus-cx_ck_1013samsung.html

Rambus wants to use this case now to sue Samsung and other RAM makers. Basically, from what I gather in this article:

The DOJ’s investigation was triggered by price swings in 2001 and 2002. Separate from the DOJ investigation, Rambus alleges that an additional impact of these price manipulations was part of a deliberate program to keep Rambus’ products out of the memory market, thereby allowing memory chip makers to avoid paying Rambus license fees and royalties.

Rambus, with only $144 million in revenue last year, could seek more than $1 billion from the same memory players that have been singled out through the Department of Justice's price-fixing investigation. Infineon has been excluded from the collusion case because of a settlement deal with Rambus reached earlier this year.

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Basically, Samsung + Hynix + Micron 'controlled' the prices, both Up and Down. Rambus is alleging it was done to drive them out of business (and they have done that quite well, have they not? )

Rambus wanted big royalties for patents, so the big chip makers teamed up and whipped rambus outta the picture. Unfair tactics? perhaps, but every other industry does that. You think the gas companies dont talk to each other when they all decide to raise rates at the same time? A friend worked at one small name gas station, and his manager told him to watch the big gas station across the street, and if they raise prices, you raise it but keep it .2 cents lower. everyone 'fixes' prices. and the only people that will get shafted by this fine is us, the consumers, as i'm sure these 'fines' will be passed down in the form of price hikes.

Hmmm. Could it be XDR. Apparently Rambus comes up with all the ideas and everyone else steals them. I'm glad they are suing and getting there moneys worth.

ok..... I bought samsung based memory during the time in question...... someone gonna send me a check?

HousERaT said:

ok..... I bought samsung based memory during the time in question...... someone gonna send me a check?

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1. Its not a class action lawsuit, its a criminal lawsuit, so no moolah for consumers

2. i'd imagine in order to drive Rambus outta business, they teamed up to undercut them in prices. remember, everyone is assuming prices were inflated during that time, when the charge against them was 'price fixing'.

Okay I see what you're saying.
Inflation is price-fixing, but price-fixing is not necessarily inflation. In this case, Samsung etc. were lowering the price point of DDR-RAM to be a much better than RD-RAM, thus driving Rambus out of business.
Sort of how capitalism can work unfortunatly.