SAN JOSE, Calif. (Legal Newsline) -- Several electronic component companies are facing a lawsuit over alleged manipulation of the resistor market.
Linkitz Systems, Inc. filed a class-action lawsuit on Oct. 13 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, San Jose Division against Panasonic Corporation; Panasonic Corporation of North America; Panasonic Industrial Devices Sales Company of America; KOA Corporation; KOA Speer Electronics, Inc.; Murata Manufacturing Co., LTD; Murata Electronics North America, Inc.; Rohm Co, LTD.; Rohm Semiconductor U.S.A., LLC; Vishay Intertechonology, Inc.; Yageo Corporation; and Yageo America Corporation.
The suit alleges violations of Section One of the Sherman Act, as well as antitrust, consumer protection and unfair competition laws in California and New York.
The plaintiff alleges that the defendants conspired to inflate, fix, raise, maintain or artificially stabilize prices of linear resistors sold in the United States. The alleged conspiracy successfully targeted various individuals and entities that purchased linear resistors from distributors. Those customers, including the plaintiff, allegedly have been paying artificially inflated prices.
Linkitz is suing for damages and restitution, as well as preventing the defendants from pursuing any further unlawful acts. The plaintiff is represented by Allan Steyer, D. Scott Macrae and Jill M. Manning from the office of Steyer Lowenthal Boodrookas Alvarez & Smith, LLP in San Francisco.
U.S. District Court, California Northern District Court case no. 5:15-cv-04724-NC