OLYMPIA, Wash. (Legal Newsline) — Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced Sept. 14 that his office will send checks in the mail to consumers affected by an alleged price-fixing scheme by LCD manufacturers.
In total, $41.1 million in restitution will be sent to 24,632 consumers and businesses in all of Washington's 39 counties.
“This conspiracy affected millions of products Washingtonians purchased over a period of eight years,” Ferguson said. “This step brings closure and a measure of justice to consumers who were harmed by this scheme. When powerful interests don’t play by the rules, my office will be there to hold them accountable.”
According to allegations, consumers in Washington and around the world were overcharged for products that contained liquid crystal display (LCD) technology because of a conspiracy by the world’s largest LCD manufacturers.
Between 1998 and 2006, LCD manufacturers allegedly colluded to avoid the growing competition in the industry. They would purportedly exchange price information and agree to fix prices and manipulate the supply of LCD panels. This alleged scheme allowed the companies to artificially increase prices.
Handling the case for the state were Antitrust Division chief Jonathan Mark, assistant attorneys general David Kerwin and Steve Fairchild, and then-senior counsel Bill Clark.