AT&T sues LG, Samsung, others alleging LCD price-fixing 'conspiracy'

A cellphone without an LCD isn't much of a cellphone. Alright, yes, there are exceptions to the rule, but generally speaking, LCDs still rule the industry, which makes it a ripe target for nefarious price-fixing schemes to take root -- something that LG and Sharp are well-acquainted with coming off a stinging half-billion dollar verdict last year. All the talk of artificially inflated display pricing recently must've spooked AT&T, because they've gone ahead and filed a lawsuit in San Francisco today alleging that LG, Samsung, Chunghua, AU Optronics, and others all conspired to boost component prices during a period in which the carrier bought some 300 million handsets. That's a boatload of phones -- several times AT&T's total subscriber base -- and we're guessing the result could be a significant cash outlay if they're successful with the suit. Does this mean free Mythics for everyone?

[Via Phone Scoop]

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 21st 2009 1:17PM]

This is a frivolous lawsuit At&T is looking to gain "free" money. This should be thrown out of court, fine AT&T for filing a frivolous lawsuit. Use AT&T to set an example to ALL the US Telcoms be careful when filing lawsuits.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 21st 2009 1:49PM]

And set an example for handset makers that price-fixing for component parts is okay? I don't see why you believe this is frivolous on AT&T's behalf. Price-fixing is an ILLEGAL practice, afterall. AT&T paid the inflated price for those handsets due to the fixed price of the LCDs (which is quite often the most expensive component of a handset) and then found out the dirt behind it all. You wouldn't want your money back after you found out you were being ripped off?

And just to point out, this is quite evidently not just a "non-issue" considering LG and Sharp both have already had to pay up in the past for this very practice.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 21st 2009 4:31PM]

At&t did not have to buy anything from these companies. Sharp doesn't even have any phones with att. They should be suing apple for price fixing and charging too much for the i-crap.

[Cyberdyne Systems Posted Oct 21st 2009 10:08PM]

Wow, ok. Look if you have a Visio tv, the picture you're looking at is NOT made by a Visio panel. It's manufactured by Samsung if it's a plasma, and any other number of manufacturers if it's LCD. Cellphones are the same way. Really the only ones that match are probably all the LG's with LG panels in them and maybe sony ericsson. iPhones have some Taiwanese made panel, so what I'm getting at is that AT&T could have been overcharged part-for-part and I find major fault with that, seeing as in the end I will be paying for that "price-fixing" that samsung, LG and all the others are caught up in. Personally I hope the money that AT&T gets from this will go straight towards building out their flippin 3g Network which sucks verizon's big toe.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 21st 2009 2:48PM]

Okay so where is the proof? What evidence does AT&T have to back this up? Its way to easy to file a lawsuit

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 21st 2009 2:51PM]

And its not a conspiracy on ALL 4 Big Moron Telcos on their similar practices? Like text messaging rates?

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 21st 2009 3:15PM]

Nice SNL reference...

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 22nd 2009 7:52AM]

I can't understand why AT&T entered with this lawsuit unstead of Nokia, Apple, Motorola and others?? Because who buys the LCD are these companies!!
AT&T should claim with the manufacturers who uses the boost price to make their products more expensive.

[crapbag Posted Oct 22nd 2009 9:56AM]

also, please confirm the moment has a capacitive screen. these guys are saying it's resistive:
http://www.slashgear.com/samsung-moment-first-impressions-2161309/

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 22nd 2009 9:07PM]

The US tel companies rip off cellphone consumers when it comes to minutes, messaging etc.
For example, in India,
For Rs 200, ($4.5), you can buy 200 minutes minimum. Comes to around 2 cents per minute. Here prepaid phones charged somewhere from 10c to 30c per minute and regular plans overage = 45c / minute. Btw you get the 10c rate only if you prepay more than 100$.

If you buy a 40$ post paid plan+ tax that provides 700 minutes, the per minute cost is still a whopping 7cents. Oh I forgot, in India, ALL INCOMING CALLS are FREEEEEE.....
In the US its double whammy.both outgoing and incoming are charged.. and these companies talk about price fixing.

By ripping off customers, they are able to afford their sky high pay packages, all sorts of inefficiencies etc...

[Scoobarama Posted Oct 22nd 2009 12:19PM]

Dudes, that "Do Not Taunt The Happy Fun Ball" graphic is about the funniest thing I've seen in a long time... I'm still cleaning up my desk from the coffee I spewed...

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 24th 2009 3:44AM]

warning: happy fun ball may suddenly and without warning spontanouesly combust and or explode.