Four years after the US imposed heavy fines and some jail sentences in response to findings of price fixing among the DRAM companies, the EU is, according to Reuters, about to charge ten DRAM makers with price fixing.
In 2006, the US Department of Justice decided there was price-fixing in the DRAM market and fined Samsung, Elpida, Micron, Hynix and Infineon over $730m. The DoJ also sent six Samsung executives, four Infineon executives, four Hynix executives and an Elpida executive to jail.
Now the EU is embarking on the same exercise. Some of the ten accused companies have long since exited the DRAM business.
Those which no longer make DRAMs, but which are still expected to be charged by the EC are: Toshiba. Hitachi, NEC Electronics, Mitsubishi Electric and Infineon.
Companies which are still making DRAMs, and which are expected to be charged, are Samsung, Hynix, Micron, Nanya Technology and Elpida (a joint venture set up by Hitachi and NEC),
According to Reuters, an EC 'Statement of Objections' is expected to be issued to the ten companies either by the end of this week, or early next week.
Last year Infineon acknowledged that the EC had been pursuing it for ten months in respect of irregularities in the DRAM market.
However, the Reuters story goes on to say that it is expected the companies will pursue a 'fast-track' settlement under a new scheme introduced by Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes.
In return for a confession, the fast-track scheme can mandate a 10% cut in fines. Under EC rules, fines can be up to 10% of a company's turnover.