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RAM Manufacturers Fined for Price Fixing

TufelKinder writes "From Law.com: 'In the largest fine ever obtained by San Francisco antitrust prosecutors, a Korean company has agreed to plead guilty and pay $185 million for its role in a conspiracy to drive up the price of computer chips.' Micron and Infineon have also been fined for their role in the scheme." From the article: "It's the third-largest fine of its kind in the United States, and it could be just a preview of even bigger penalties. The far-reaching computer chip investigation, which alleges wrongdoing from 1999 through 2002, affects thousands of consumers."

16 of 216 comments (clear)

  1. Your honor, I don't have that memory by ishmalius · · Score: 5, Funny

    Honest

    1. Re:Your honor, I don't have that memory by game+kid · · Score: 2, Funny

      Prosecutor: "Did you, at any moment, raise your RAM prices?"

      Defendant: "I do not recall, sir."

      Prosecutor: "So you're a memory company and you don't remem--"

      Attorney: "Objection!"

      Judge: "What grounds?"

      Attorney: "Argumentative."

      Judge: "Overruled. You run a memory company, at least buy some of your product, dammit."

      Defendant: "Understood, Your Hon--"

      Judge: "You, just shut up."

      --
      You can hold down the "B" button for continuous firing.
  2. So by Neil+Blender · · Score: 5, Funny

    Will they pass the cost onto the consumer?

  3. Well done, lads. by blueadept1 · · Score: 5, Funny

    This has got to be a wake-up call to major corporations. This goes to show that price-fixing will not be tolerated in the tech industry. Now perhaps we could get this to extend to other industries such as DVD's/CD's, and maybe even OIL!

    Okay, okay, I admit it, I'm drunk.

  4. well thats just great by 1evilmonkey · · Score: 4, Funny

    Yay so I can use the money I will save on RAM and put it towards high gas prices.

    --
    crap
  5. I'm waiting by waldoiverson · · Score: 3, Funny

    *looks at $2.00 per meg PC-133 chips* ... ... ... *waits for class action lawsuit notification*

  6. Re:Thanks a lot.... by michael+path · · Score: 4, Funny

    No, no, no. This money goes to WHOM.

  7. Re:Price Fixing... by mbourgon · · Score: 4, Funny

    Allow me to add another Mencken quote:
    The American public knows what it wants, and deserves to get it. Good and hard.

    --
    "Sometimes a woman is a kind of religion, she can save your soul & set you free from all your sins" - Bad Examples
  8. Re:Price Fixing... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    " What evidence do you have that the gas companies are price fixing?"

    WTF do you think OPEC does, pick daisies?

    (OK OK mod me down)

  9. Re:Thanks a lot.... by Sheepdot · · Score: 4, Funny

    Enforcing DMCA litigation in San Francisco. What?!? Did you really think the government would give it back to you?

    Of the 185 million, half goes to the court costs on the part of the government (92.5 million). Half of that goes to lawyers (46 million). Half of that goes to the expert witnesses (23 million). Half of that goes to the "betterment of society" committee, that takes a look at how RAM prices affect San Francisco's children (11 million).

    Another half gets lost in the bureaucratic mix (6 million). Half of that goes to fun a failed municipal wireless project (3 million). And the other 3 million goes back to the good citizen's of San Francisco in the form of a park or statue or something else people can look at and talk proudly of how their government provides them with so much.

    Just makes you damn proud to be an American, doesn't it? I know I am!

  10. Re:Clever move by Micron by FuturePastNow · · Score: 2, Funny

    I'm sure it was a crucial part of their plan.

    --
    Give a man fire, and you warm him for the night. Set a man on fire, and you warm him for the rest of his life.
  11. As settlement, each San Fran resident... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    ...will receive a 32MB stick of PC 66 memory.

  12. Cartels by jeff_schiller · · Score: 2, Funny

    "This case shows that high-tech price-fixing cartels will not be tolerated" But oil cartels? Bring it on...I'm paying $2.30/gallon out here in the midwest...

  13. Re:Wow by Jorkapp · · Score: 2, Funny

    2 gigs? You can do amazing things with 2 gigs.

    To start, you can cache Windows to a ramdrive to speed things up a little, or if you're a linux zealot, you can cache an entire Knoppix LiveCD to a ramdrive, and have all the more space on your HD.

    Of course, you could always cache pr0n videos to a ramdrive for uber-smooth playback.

    --
    Frink: Nice try floyd, but you were designed for scrubbing, and scrubbing is what you shall do.
  14. What the hell am I gonna do with 2gigs? by nurb432 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Boot longhorn?

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    ---- Booth was a patriot ----
  15. Re:Close... by jafac · · Score: 2, Funny

    We need to lighten the regulation and we need to allow more and bigger refineries to be built.

    I've ggt a good idea!
    Let's install the refinery in YOUR backyard, with no environmental regulations. 'k?

    --

    These are my friends, See how they glisten. See this one shine, how he smiles in the light.