U.S. panel to investigate Samsung-Sharp dispute
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A U.S. trade panel that often hears  patent disputes said on Tuesday it agreed to Samsung  Electronics Co's  request to investigate Sharp Corp   for allegedly infringing liquid crystal display  patents.
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South Korea launched a special  investigation into Samsung Group  on Thursday on  suspicions the country's largest conglomerate bribed public  officials to squash investigations into its management  practices.
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Samsung Electronics, the worldâs second-largest memory-chip maker, said on Thursday it would make a $100m provision against possible fines in an ongoing US antitrust investigation.
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(InfoWorld) - An investigation into possible anticompetitive behavior in the flat-panel display market widened Tuesday, with four more big vendors saying they had been contacted by investigators. Samsung ElectronicsÂ said it had been served with subpoenas by regulators in the U.S., South Korea, and Japan, while Sharp and Taiwan's AU Optronics were contacted by the Japan Fair Trade Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), they said. Taiwan's Chi Mei Optoelectronics said a subsidiary in the U.S. was also contacted by the DOJ. The investigation came to light Monday when LG.Philips LCD Co.Â revealed that it had been subpoenaedÂ by regulators in the U.S., South Korea, and Japan. The probe centers on TFT (thin-film transistor) LCDs, according to Samsung. They are used in a wide range of electronics products including flat-panel televisions and computer monitors, laptop computers, cell phones, and digital music players. The three companies being investigated are among the largest manufacturers of such displays. The investigation comes on the heels of anticompetition probes in the DRAM (dynamic RAM) andÂ SRAM (static RAM) markets. The DRAM investigationÂ focussed on price-fixing, which is when vendors cooperate to set prices artificially. Sharp Spokeswoman Miyuki Nakayama said the company was surprised to have received the summons. Sharp has a policy of "fair and ethical management," she said. Cho Sung In, a spokeswoman for Samsung in Seoul, said: "Samsung Electronics is strongly committed to fair competition and ethical practices and forbids anti-competitive behavior." Among other LCD manufacturers, Sony said its joint-venture with Samsung, S-LCD, had not been contacted by the investigators. Shares in LG.Philips dropped 4 percent Tuesday, while Samsung's closed down two-thirds of a percent. The general market, as measured by the Kospi index, fell 1 percent. Sharp waited until after the market had closed to announce it had been contacted. Its shares rose 2 percent Tuesday. In the DRAM investigation, Market leaders Samsung andÂ Hynix Semiconductor pled guiltyÂ in 2005 to price-fixing and receivedÂ fines of $300 millionÂ and $185 million, respectively. Japan'sÂ Elpida Memory had to pay $84 millionÂ and Germany'sÂ Infineon Technologies paid a $160 million fine. In October several manufacturers of SRAM chips said they had been subpoenaed by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) although they did not disclose the nature of the DOJ's requests. The companies were Cypress Semiconductor and the U.S. units of Mitsubishi Electric, Samsung Electronics, Sony, and Toshiba. Â ADVERTISEMENTNEW IT SERVICES FROM IBM: EASIER TO BUY AND IMPLEMENTDiscover a simpler, more cost-effective way to get the solutions your company needs to grow more flexible and efficient.
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(InfoWorld) - The U.S. International Trade Commission said that QualcommÂ is infringing on one of Broadcom's patents, dealing a blow to Qualcomm in anÂ ongoing patent battleÂ between the companies. The Commission hasn't yet issued a penalty for the infringement and Qualcomm pledged to appeal the decision. The companies are in the midst of many other lawsuits with each other regarding cell phone patents. Broadcom said the Commission could bar Qualcomm from importing its chips to the U.S., forbid Qualcomm from selling the infringing products in the U.S., and even ban the import of phones containing the chips. But Qualcomm says that the Administrative Law Judge, who made the initial ruling that was upheld by the Commission, has recommended against barring the import of phones that use the chips. The Commission made its ruling on Friday and both Qualcomm and Broadcom released statements on Monday. The Commission will issue its remedy decision by Feb. 9. Qualcomm has downplayed the importance of the technology in question, saying it is based on software and not fundamental to CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access), the mobile technology that Qualcomm created and is best known for. Qualcomm has said previously that it is exploring ways to work around the technology. The two companies have several other outstanding cases against each other. One is set to be tried in March, another in May, and a third doesn't yet have a trial date set. Broadcom is also appealing an antitrust suit that it filed against Qualcomm which has been dismissed. Broadcom is also one of five technology companies that filedÂ anticompetitive complaints against QualcommÂ with the European Commission. Â
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Samsung Electronics Co. said Thursday it filed a complaint with American authorities over alleged unfair trade practices by Japanese rival Sharp Corp., fueling an intensifying legal battle over flat panel technology.
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Sony Corp  will look beyond its  current partnership in flat panels with South Korea's Samsung  Electronics  and may tie up with other firms, the  Mainichi newspaper reported on Thursday.
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Samsung Electronics, the world&#39;s top memory chipmaker, said on Thursday its US subsidiary would put aside $100 million in antitrust provisions related to a computer memory chip dispute.
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US antitrust regulators are investigating possible anti-competitive practices at the American Stock Exchange and Chicago Board Options Exchange, according to the annual report of the National Association of Securities Dealers.
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By Bob Mims, The Salt Lake Tribune  Feb. 8--Samsung will pay $90 million to settle a lawsuit filed by 50  states, including Utah, over the alleged fixing of prices for computer memory  chips.   The bulk of the settlement, $80 million, goes directly to consumers.
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Officials from the US Olympic Committee and their South Korean counterparts might seek to solve the dispute over US gymnast Paul Hamm&#39;s gold medal in
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A probe into price fixing of LCD displays is expanding, according to press reports on Tuesday. Three countries are investigating the actions of companies that include: LG.Philips, Samsung, Sharp, and a joint venture between Seiko Epson and Sharp.
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First it was chips, now it's LCDs (liquid crystal displays). Authorities around the globe are investigating possible anticompetitive conduct in the LCD industry, according to activity at LG.Philips LCD Co.Â offices.
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Brian Matus, vice president of market research IC Insights, said $100 million is a mere drop in the bucket for Samsung, but the full extent of the company&#39;s guilt or the fines it might be assessed remain to be seen.
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U.S. antitrust regulators are investigating possible anti-competitive practices at the American Stock Exchange and Chicago Board Options Exchange, according to the annual report of the National Association of Securities Dealers.
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The U.S., the European Union and Canada plan to ask the World Trade Organization to set up a panel to investigate.
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KAMEYAMA, Japan  - Japan's Sharp Corp. 6753.T   said on Tuesday it will likely need to consider bringing   forward a capacity expansion plan for its latest liquid crystal   display (LCD) panel plant in Kameyama, western Japan.