Dell is suing ‘LCD cartel’ Sharp, Hitachi and Toshiba

Dell has sued five LCD manufacturers in the United States because the companies allegedly engaged in illegal price fixing. The American computer manufacturer has not yet determined the amount of compensation.

Dell is in the top three manufacturers of computers, but it also produces monitors. According to news agency Reuters has sued the American group Hitachi, Sharp, Toshiba, HannStar and Seiko Epson. The lawsuit would have been brought before the court of San Francisco. The relevant LCD manufacturers have not yet responded to the complaint.

There are no details about Dell’s claims. The amount of compensation has not yet been determined, according to the company’s lawyer. Dell is likely claiming that it overpaid for the LCD panels it uses for its monitors. In recent years, the LCD industry has regularly come under fire for unauthorized price fixing. For example, the European Commission suspects, among others, Philips and its former LCD partner LG Electronics of prohibited price agreements, while Nokia sued seven LCD manufacturers for cartel formation at the end of last year.