The European Commission has informed thirteen companies supplying optical disk drives in the European Economic Area (EEA) of its preliminary view that they may have infringed EU antitrust rules by participating in a worldwide cartel. The EC did not name exact companies accused of participating in a cartel.
The EC has concerns that those suppliers may have coordinated their behavior in bidding events organised by two major original equipment manufacturers for optical disk drives used in personal computers (desktops and notebooks) and in servers. The sending of a statement of objections does not prejudge the final outcome of the investigation, but is a formal step in commission investigations into suspected violations of EU rules that prohibit cartels and restrictive business practices.
The commission takes the preliminary view that the companies concerned engaged for at least five years in bid rigging, which is one of the most serious breaches of EU antitrust rules. This behaviour, if established, may have ultimately affected customers that bought optical disk drives manufactured by the companies concerned.
If, after the parties have exercised their right of defence, the commission concludes that there is sufficient evidence of an infringement it can issue a decision prohibiting the conduct and impose a fine of up to 10 % of a company’s annual worldwide turnover. This is without prejudice to a company’s ability to receive full immunity for being the first to reveal information about a cartel or to receive a reduction in its fine for supplying evidence of significant added value according to the commission’s leniency notice.
Tags: CD, DVD, Blu-ray, Business
Comments currently:
3
Discussion started: 07/25/12 06:43:35 PM
Latest comment: 07/28/12 10:43:28 PM
[1-3]
1.
Why would optical drive makers price fix? Are they selling RAM, digital TV screens, SSDs or HDDs? <LOL>
If there is a way to exploit consumers, the unscrupulous will be first in line.
1
1
[
Posted by: beenthere
|
Date: 07/25/12 06:43:36 PM]
2.
During the neoliberal era, these kinds of borderline evasions of law were happily overlooked. The years between 1973 oil crisis and 2006 the end of Bush presidency were the time of very evil policies. It means that the justice system doesn't punish criminals but is fallible by the special interests of the powerful. I could make a paper about the global neoliberal scam that changed the values on the micro-social level too. The reason why these scams become investigated in the first place means that the power is no longer in their hands (thank god!).
0
0
[
Posted by: TeemuMilto
|
Date: 07/28/12 09:32:18 AM]
3.
I am waiting for the EU to take a long hard look @ the HDD pirates..............seagate and wd
0
0
[
Posted by: alpha0ne
|
Date: 07/28/12 10:43:28 PM]
[1-3]
Make Home Page
Add to Favorites
Xbitlabs on Facebook
XbitLabs is using Twitter
Windows Live Alerts
