p2p news / p2pnet:- DRAM maker Samsung Electronics Company and its US subsidiary, are pleading guilty to an international price fixing conspiracy, says the US Department of Justice.

The South Korean company will pay a criminal fine of $300 million.

According to the one-count felony charge filed yesterday, from April 1, 1999 to June 15, 2002, Samsung and its US subsidiary Samsung Semiconductor conspired with other DRAM (dynamic random access memory) manufacturers to fix the prices of DRAM sold to Dell, Compaq Computer, Hewlett-Packard, Apple Computer, IBM and Gateway, says the DoJ.

“Under the plea agreement, which must be approved by the court, Samsung has agreed to cooperate with the government in its ongoing investigation of other DRAM producers,” it states.

Samsung is charged with carrying out the conspiracy by:

* Participating in meetings, conversations, and communications in the United States and elsewhere with competitors to discuss the prices of DRAM to be sold to certain customers;

* Agreeing, during those meetings, conversations, and communications, to charge prices of DRAM at certain levels to be sold to certain customers;

* Issuing price quotations in accordance with the agreements reached; and

* Exchanging information on sales of DRAM to certain customers for the purpose of monitoring and enforcing adherence to the agreed-upon prices.

Samsung is the third major semiconductor company, after the Korean manufacturer Hynix Semiconductor and German manufacturer Infineon Technologies AG, to plead guilty to fixing DRAM prices, adds the DoJ.

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See:-
US Department of Justice – SAMSUNG AGREES TO PLEAD GUILTY AND TO PAY $300 MILLION CRIMINAL FINE FOR ROLE IN PRICE FIXING CONSPIRACY, October 13, 2005

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