Price-Fixing: First RAM, then LCD screens...what's next?

[Dave]

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20051013-5429.html

"...Samsung has become the latest chip maker to get hit with massive fines
for its participation in a price-fixing scheme. As part of a guilty plea
with the US Department of Justice, the Korean company will pay a US$300
million fine-the second-largest criminal antitrust fine on record in the US.
Samsung joins its compatriot Hynix and German chip maker Infineon in getting
busted for price fixing..."

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/13/technology/13panel.html?partner=rss

"...Prices for the flat screens in televisions, personal computers and
cellphones have plummeted in recent years - but the decline would have been
even faster if it hadn't been for an international price-fixing cartel, the
Justice Department said on Wednesday.
Three leading flat-screen producers - LG Display of South Korea, Sharp of
Japan and Chunghwa Picture Tubes of Taiwan - pleaded guilty and agreed to
pay a total of $585 million in criminal fines for their role in fixing the
price of liquid-crystal display panels..."

I've got a couple of letters from lawyers asking me to claim my share of the
RAM settlement. I guess I should be watching my mailbox for letters from
lawyers asking me to claim my share of the LCD settlement now.

Serious question... a few years from now, what component will cause me to
get more letters from lawyers? Is it hard drives? Graphics Cards? Power
supplies? CPUs? What component has artificially inflated prices now? I
get the feeling that the officials investigating these scams are playing
"catch-up". That is, while they are prosecuting one fraud, another one is
happening. So the RAM makers got busted. Good. So the LCD screen
producers got busted. Good. But who is ****ing us NOW?

I kind of need this question answered as I'm getting ready to make a
substantial investment in hardware. Is there any component we can trust?
That is, is there any component where the average price shouldn't be at
least 50% lower than it is, right now? HOW DO WE
OW?????????????????????? -Dave

 

[AllEmailDeletedImmediately]

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20051013-5429.html

"...Samsung has become the latest chip maker to get hit with massive fines
for its participation in a price-fixing scheme. As part of a guilty plea
with the US Department of Justice, the Korean company will pay a US$300
million fine-the second-largest criminal antitrust fine on record in the
US.
Samsung joins its compatriot Hynix and German chip maker Infineon in
getting busted for price fixing..."

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/13/technology/13panel.html?partner=rss

"...Prices for the flat screens in televisions, personal computers and
cellphones have plummeted in recent years - but the decline would have
been even faster if it hadn't been for an international price-fixing
cartel, the Justice Department said on Wednesday.
Three leading flat-screen producers - LG Display of South Korea, Sharp of
Japan and Chunghwa Picture Tubes of Taiwan - pleaded guilty and agreed to
pay a total of $585 million in criminal fines for their role in fixing the
price of liquid-crystal display panels..."

I've got a couple of letters from lawyers asking me to claim my share of
the RAM settlement. I guess I should be watching my mailbox for letters
from lawyers asking me to claim my share of the LCD settlement now.

Serious question... a few years from now, what component will cause me to
get more letters from lawyers? Is it hard drives? Graphics Cards? Power
supplies? CPUs? What component has artificially inflated prices now? I
get the feeling that the officials investigating these scams are playing
"catch-up". That is, while they are prosecuting one fraud, another one is
happening. So the RAM makers got busted. Good. So the LCD screen
producers got busted. Good. But who is ****ing us NOW?

I kind of need this question answered as I'm getting ready to make a
substantial investment in hardware. Is there any component we can trust?
That is, is there any component where the average price shouldn't be at
least 50% lower than it is, right now? HOW DO WE
?????????????????????? -Dave

perhaps you should be inquiring why the u.s govt gets the fine money.
seems to me it belongs to the consumer.