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2015: Large producers of optical drives are fined 116 million euros
On October 21, 2015 the European Commission (EC) announced imposing of a large penalty on eight producers of optical drives (CD, DVD and Blu-Ray) for price collusion because of which computer makers of Dell and HP bought component parts at the overstated cost.
Companies Hitachi LG Digital Storage Technology, Toshiba Samsung Storage Technology, Sony, Sony OptiArc and Quanta Storage were participants of cartel who with benefit for themselves fixed the prices of optical disk players during the period from 2004 to 2008. According to the decision of EC, they should pay in total 116 million euros, and the most part of a penalty fell on Hitachi LG and Toshiba Samsung companies.
Besides, Philips, Liteon and their joint venture under the name of Philips & Liteon Digital Solutions took part in collusion. The European antimonopoly regulator saved these producers from monetary collecting as they the first told about existence of syndicate. Otherwise they would be fined 64 million euros. Hitachi LG Digital Storage Technology also took voluntary part in investigation therefore the penalty of the company was cut off twice — to 74.2 million euros.
It is noted that members of cartel behaved extremely carefully in Europe, trying to do as little as possible shadow business in this region and to hold meetings out of offices — at movie theaters, on parkings, etc. — and often outside EU countries. They did not mention any names in correspondences by e-mail and used in them code names and abbreviations.
The producers of optical drives accused of monopolism conducted harmonious work in tenders for equipment procurement for desktops and notebooks of HP and Dell. Sony and Philips companies participated only in the biddings organized by Dell.[1]
"Millions of Europeans daily use devices for reading optical disks. Maintenance of the competition in the similar markets is very important" — the European Commissioner for the competition Margrethe Vestager said.
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