Dell sues LCD makers for alleged price-fixing

Lawsuit names major brands, jury trial sought

Dell has filed a lawsuit against five LCD makers that charges them with colluding to fix prices for products.

The suit was filed on Friday in the US District Court for the Northern District of California against Epson, Hitachi, Sharp, Toshiba and HannStar, sats Dell spokesman David Frink.

"We're seeking to recover money collected for LCD panels that were purchased at artificially inflated prices, set through what we believe was an unlawful collaboration," Frink says.

Dell hasn't specified how much money it hopes to be awarded in the case. The computer maker is seeking a jury trial, Frink says.
The five vendors, all based in Asia, could not immediately be reached for comment on Monday.

Several LCD vendors have already pleaded guilty to price-fixing in an investigation by the US Department of Justice. Those admissions have resulted in fines of more than US$860 million.

In December Nokia sued a group of display makers for alleged price fixing, and the European Commission has launched a similar investigation to that of the US Justice Department.