(Adds further details throughout and a statement from Samsung.)
By Brent Kendall Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES WASHINGTON -(Dow Jones)- Three leading electronics companies, LG Display Co. (LPL), Sharp Corp. (SHCAY) and Chunghwa Picture Tubes Ltd. (2475.TW), agreed Wednesday to pay $585 million in criminal fines for illegally fixing prices on liquid-crystal displays that are used in flat-screen televisions, cell phones and other devices, the U.S. Justice Department announced.
LG Display, based in South Korea, will pay $400 million, the second highest criminal fine ever imposed by the Justice Department's antitrust division.
The department said Japan-based Sharp will pay $120 million in fines for illegally fixing prices of LCD displays that were sold to Dell Inc. (DELL), Apple Inc. (AAPL) and Motorola Inc. (MOT). The displays were used in iPods, Razr mobile phones and computer monitors and laptops.
Assistant Attorney General Thomas O. Barnett, the department's chief antitrust enforcer, said LG Display, Sharp and Chunghwa were part of price-fixing conspiracies that were international in scope and "affected millions of American consumers who use computers, cell phones and numerous other household electronics every day."
Barnett said he didn't yet have specifics on the amount of financial loss suffered by consumers. But he said the termination of the conspiracies should lead to lower prices.
Worldwide sales for LCDs totaled $70 billion in 2006.
Sharp said in a statement that it "understands the gravity of this situation and will strengthen and thoroughly implement measures to prevent the recurrence of this kind of problem, and will earnestly work to regain the public's confidence."
Barnett said Sharp engaged in three separate conspiracies with unnamed co-conspirators to fix prices for LCD panels sold to Dell, Apple and Motorola.
He said LG Display and Chunghwa conspired with each other to reach agreed-upon prices at which the two companies would sell LCD displays.
Chunghwa, based in Taiwan, will pay $65 million in fines.
A spokesperson for LG Display did not return a call for comment. Chunghwa could not immediately be reached for comment.
Absent from Wednesday's charges was any mention of Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (005930.SE), the world's largest LCD maker. The company confirmed in 2006 that it had received subpoenas from U.S. regulators in connection with the LCD probe.
Samsung said in a statement that it "has pledged its full and continuing cooperation" with the ongoing investigation.
Barnett wouldn't comment on whether Samsung cooperated with investigators or received legal immunity in the investigation.
Under federal antitrust law, the first firm to give antitrust regulators evidence of a criminal conspiracy can receive amnesty from criminal charges.
Barnett said Justice Department's LCD probe was ongoing. He commended the board of directors at Sharp, LG Display and Chunghwa for cooperating in the investigation.
"Today's fines would have been significantly higher had they not done so," he said.
-By Brent Kendall, Dow Jones Newswires; 202-862-9222; brent.kendall@dowjones.com
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(END) Dow Jones Newswires
November 12, 2008 17:40 ET (22:40 GMT)

Publié le 12 novembre 2008 Copyright © 2008 Dowjones