Samsung, LCD-panel makers sued by Madigan

Samsung Electronics Co., Toshiba Corp., Sharp Corp. and five other liquid-crystal display makers were sued by Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan over claims they conspired to fix prices.

The companies agreed to set the price and limit production of LCD panels, used in computers, television and mobile phones, from at least Nov. 30, 1998, to Dec. 11, 2006, Madigan said in a 34-page complaint filed today in state court in Chicago.

The alleged scheme resulted in higher prices that hurt consumers and the state, said Madigan, who seeks unspecified damages for overcharges. Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum said today in a statement that his office would file a similar suit in California alleging price-fixing for thin-film LCD panels. New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo said Aug. 6 he filed an antitrust suit against LCD makers.

Samsung is based in South Korea, Toshiba is based in Tokyo and Sharp is based in Osaka, Japan. Defendants in Madigan's suit also include LG Display Co. of South Korea, AU Optronics Corp. and Chi Mei Innolux Corp. of Taiwan, Hitachi Ltd. of Japan and Epson Imaging Devices Corp., a unit of Japan's Seiko Epson Corp.