NY AG Sues Chip Makers Over Price Fixing

[Omaha Steve]

Full story: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20060714/D8IRO1H88.html

NY AG Sues Chip Makers Over Price Fixing
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Jul 14, 7:31 AM (ET)

By MARK JOHNSON

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - New York's attorney general sued leading makers of memory chips Thursday, claiming they made secret price-fixing arrangements that inflated the cost of personal computers and other electronic devices.

More than 30 other states were expected to file a separate but similar lawsuit against chip makers Friday in San Francisco federal court, California Attorney General Bill Lockyer said.

The lawsuits follow a long-running U.S. Justice Department investigation that has resulted in more than $730 million in fines and guilty pleas from four companies - Samsung Electronics Co., Elpida Memory Inc., Infineon Technologies AG (IFX) and Hynix Semiconductor Inc.

Boise, Idaho-based Micron Technology Inc. (MU) was granted immunity from criminal charges in the DOJ case in exchange for its cooperation.