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Nvidia Settles GPU Price-Fixing Antitrust Case
arcticstoat writes to report that Nvidia has offered up a settlement for the GPU price-fixing case. As a part of the settlement Nvidia would be required to pay $850,000 into a fund projected to hit $1.7 million (supposedly AMD/ATI would make up the other half). The antitrust case indicated that Nvidia and ATI worked together in order to 'fix, raise, maintain, and stabilize prices of GPUs sold in the US.'"
Wow, $850K? Damn, they're really going to be hurting after that one...
I say it is useless because the regular blokes who bought the over-priced graphics cards won't see jack squat from this. As is the case with every class action i've ever seen, what ends up happening is whichever litigation-happy person initiated it gets a large settlement (as do their lawyers) and everyone else gets $5 coupons for cracker jacks.
"To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield." - Tennyson
From TFA: "However, it's interesting that neither company has been proved innocent in this case, with the claims being dismissed out of court instead."
Silly me. I thought you had to be proven guilty, at least in the USA. Is the reporter that dumb or is he trying to put a slant on this?
Frankly, it sounds to me like there's no case to answer, and this is just a quick way to make it go away. If there had been any sort of case the settlement costs would have been in the $100+ million range, not $112,000 to the plaintiffs and $1.7 million for the class (which I presume will mostly go to the lawyers).
With such rapid price drops on graphics cards I thought competition between ATI and Nvidia was working. Why, I just bought a 9600GSO for $34 after rebate and live cashback (and free shpping - Newegg rocks!)
"There can be little doubt that union activities lead to continuous and progressive inflation." F. A. Hayek
It also seems kinda bogus to me. It is ONLY for those that bought their cards from the Nvidia and ATI websites. How many folks actually buy their cards from the Nvidia website? If they and ATI got together to fix the price of GPUs,then everybody who bought a GPU during the time of collusion was affected,not simply those that bought from the GPU manufacturers website. After all,they set the price,which the card makers then simply passed on to the consumers. Or am I missing something here?
ACs don't waste your time replying, your posts are never seen by me.