Electronics giant Samsung Electronics has agreed to pay a $300 million fine to settle a three-year old DRAM price-fixing case brought about by U.S. Justice Department.(Brief Article)

Purchasing, November, 2005

Electronics giant Samsung Electronics has agreed to pay a $300 million fine to settle a three-year old DRAM price-fixing case brought about by U.S. Justice Department. Guilty pleas have already come in from two other top DRAM manufacturers, Infineon of Germany paid a $160 million fine and Hynix Semiconductor based in South Korea paid $185 million for conspiring over prices from 1999 to 2002.

Samsung was hit with the heaviest fine, however, based on its market share. Micron Technology does not expect to be charged because it has helped prosecutors. Victims of the price-fixing cartel included Dell, Hewlett-Packard Co., Apple Computer, IBM and Gateway, the government said in court papers filed in San Francisco.