Cathode-Ray Tubes Antitrust Class Action

Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP, with co-counsel, serves as counsel in a class action complaint on behalf of businesses and individuals that purchased cathode-ray tubes (“CRTs”) and products containing CRTs from manufacturers alleging defendants operated a global cartel to fix the prices of CRTs sold in the United States.

CRT technology has been in use for more than 100 years. CRTs can be found in a wide range of products including computer monitors and televisions. The plaintiff, Nathan Muchnick, Inc., directly purchased CRT products from one or more of the named defendants.

The complaint alleges defendants’ collusive behavior artificially inflated the price of CRT products, causing plaintiff and other direct purchasers to pay more than they should have. "With the rapid fall in demand for CRTs in the United States over the past decade due to the introduction of technologically superior products, prices for CRTs should have rapidly declined as well,” stated plaintiff’s counsel Joseph R. Saveri of Lieff Cabraser. “Instead, for almost a decade, we have seen periods of unnatural and sustained price stability, as well as inexplicable increases in the prices of CRTs.” A copy of the complaint can be viewed here [pdf format].

The defendants include multinational electronics corporations Chunghwa, LG Electronics, Matushita, Philips Electronics, Samsung and Toshiba. A number of these companies have been the subject of coordinated enforcement actions by the United States Department of Justice and competition authorities in Europe, Japan and South Korea. Chunghwa recently confirmed it had a received a subpoena issued by a federal grand jury operating under the auspices of the Antitrust Division of the United States Department of Justice through its San Francisco office.

Plaintiff seeks to represent the following class of businesses and individuals:

All persons and entities residing in the United States who, from May 1, 1998 through the present, purchased CRT Products in the United States directly from the Defendants. Specifically excluded from this Class are the Defendants; the officers, directors or employees of any Defendant; any entity in which any Defendant has a controlling interest; and any affiliate, legal representative, heir or assign of any Defendant. Also excluded are all governmental entities, and any judicial officer presiding over this action.

Contact Class Counsel

Antitrust laws are designed to protect the economy and to promote competition among businesses by prohibiting price-fixing and other forms of anticompetitive conduct. Individuals, businesses, public agencies and other entities that have purchased CRTs or products incorporating CRTs are welcome to contact Lieff Cabraser by clicking here.

Learning of your experience in purchasing these products will assist us in prosecuting the litigation. We will review your claim in confidence without charge or obligation.