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[marketmaven]

"Clients" of MICRON, SAMSUNG, HYNIX and INFINEON (ex SIEMENS) Suffered from Producer Conspiracy in DRAM Price Fixing Case

Prosecutors Could Seek Charges Against Chip Makers
Manufacturers Attempted To Fix Prices for Memory, Fresh Evidence Suggests
By JOHN R. WILKE and DON CLARK
Staff Reporters of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

WASHINGTON -- Newly disclosed e-mail and testimony from industry executives show what prosecutors believe was a global conspiracy among some of the world's largest memory-chip makers to cut production and raise prices before a sharp price spike two years ago. The evidence -- and new activity before a federal grand jury in San Francisco -- suggests a long-running antitrust investigation may be coming to an end. Prosecutors are expected to seek criminal price-fixing charges against some chip makers, while others are weighing whether to enter plea deals and risk heavy fines, lawyers close to the case said.Companies that have disclosed they are under investigation include the market leader, Samsung Electronics Co., and Hynix Semiconductor Inc., both of South Korea; Micron Technology Inc., based in Boise, Idaho; and Infineon Technologies AG of Germany, among others.