Dell sues Sharp, Hitachi over flat-panel price-fixing claims

Dell Inc., the third-biggest personal-computer maker, sued Sharp Corp., Hitachi Ltd. and three other liquid-crystal display panel makers over allegations they conspired to fix prices and overcharged for their products.

The companies, some of which pleaded guilty and paid fines in a U.S. price-fixing investigation related to the panels, have sold products to Dell at artificially inflated prices going back to 1996, Dell alleged in its antitrust and unfair-competition complaint filed March 12 in federal court in San Francisco.

Sharp, Japan’s largest maker of liquid-crystal displays, and Hitachi, which also makes household appliances, hard-disk drives and nuclear reactors, admitted targeting and overcharging Dell for the panels in plea agreements with the Justice Department, according to the complaint.

Sharp, based in Osaka, Japan, agreed to pay $120 million in fines in 2008. Tokyo-based Hitachi Displays agreed to pay $31 million last year.

Dell, based in Round Rock, Texas, seeks triple damages in the lawsuit. Dell trails Hewlett-Packard Co. and Acer Inc. in the personal-computer market.

Chris Loncto, a spokesman for Sharp, and Lauren Garvey, a spokeswoman for Hitachi America in Tarrytown, New York, didn’t return voice-mail messages seeking comment after regular business hours March 12.

The case is Dell v Sharp, 10-01064, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California (San Francisco).