I had been somewhat curious about the LCD price-fixing pleas announced yesterday, because, unlike the DRAM price-fixing convictions, no executives were named. In the DRAM prosecutions, executives from Samsung, Hynix, and Infineon all ended up pleading guilty in the third wave of that investigation.
When I took a look at the DOJ’s press release, it appears that the LCD investigation might just be beginning. “Today’s charges were filed in U.S. District Court in San Francisco. The companies have agreed to cooperate with the Department’s ongoing antitrust investigation.” (Link.) And the presser rounds out by asking individuals who have information to contact the San Francisco field office. So there’s a pretty sizable chance that, just like the DRAM prosecutions, this announcement is only the first wave. We’ll see.
