Hitachi-LG Strikes Deal in Optical Disk Drive Price-Fixing Case

Hitachi-LG struck a deal on Thursday that will allow it to exit a class action antitrust lawsuit accusing major electronics makers of fixing the price of optical disk drives and devices, such as CD-ROMs, DVD-ROMs, Blu-Rays, desktop and laptop computers, videogame consoles, and related devices. The deal requires Hitachi-LG to pay $26 million to consumers as well as to help the plaintiffs with their case against the remaining defendants.

The multidistrict litigation, titled In Re: Optical Disk Drive Products Antitrust Litigation, consolidates multiple class action lawsuits accusing Hitachi-LG, Samsung, Toshiba, Sony and others of conspiring to fix the prices for the disk drives.

The plaintiffs asked the court to preliminarily approve the class action lawsuit settlement and to certify a nationwide settlement class consisting of direct purchasers of optical disk drives and devices from January 1, 2004 through December 31, 2011.

“Courts have approved so-called ‘ice breaker’ settlements, such as the one entered with [Hitachi-LG], because of their many benefits to the class and their supportive nature to uncovering the individuals involved in the alleged conspiracy,” the motion said.

No decision has been made.

The case is In re: Optical Disk Drive Products Antitrust Litigation, Case No. 10-md-02143, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.

The proposed direct purchaser class is represented by attorneys from Saveri & Saveri Inc., the Alioto Law Firm, Berman DeValerio, Cotchett Pitre & McCarthy LLP, Hausfeld LLP, Kaplan Fox & Kilsheimer LLP, Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein LLP and Pearson Simon Warshaw & Penny LLP.

UPDATE July 25, 2016: A judge approved a $124.5 million settlement for indirect purchasers in 23 states and the District of Columbia. To file a claim, visit www.DollarsForDiskDrives.com/TCA.