Sony, others named in video tape price-fixing scheme
By Thomas Ricker 
posted Mar 21st 2007 9:46AM
posted Mar 21st 2007 9:46AM
Seems we can't have a month go by without another industry-wide price fixing scandal. Today's cartel was bent on fixing the prices of professional-grade video tapes used in television. An infamous list of swindles which includes DRAM, LCDs, and online-music just to name a few. While the EU regulators citied "several companies," only Sony would confirm that they were charged with the crime. Fingers are also wagging in the direction of Panasonic, Fujifilm, Hitachi Maxell and TDK but all declined to comment on the matter. So innocent until proven guilty, mkay. The EU's charges are based on raids it made in 2002 as well as information received since, under a leniency program. Companies now have two months to respond. If guilty, companies could be fined as much as 10% of their annual global sales. Oh my.
What are we talking here, DVCAM, Beta, DigiBeta....?
Why do I feel a sudden urge to grip my baseball bat when I see this article's picture?
been on telly have we?
Bah. They should go for the oil companies instead of video tape companies. What a waste of tax payer money.
Man these guys only get caught in Europe, America is so corrupt.
Dumb.
Wow. This is huge.
I know of some large broadcasters that have bought BetaSP in bulk and drilled holes in the bottom of the cassettes so they could be used as DigiBeta. Why? Because the prices are astronomical.
If indeed there is price fixing (which it seems obvious that there is), there are untold billions of dollars involved.
Prices to low: predatory pricing.
Prices to high: unfair monopoly.
Prices the same as everyone else: collusion.
...you can't win...
Seems we can't have a month go by without another SONY scandal!
Actually, the article did not say if the prices were fixed high. Maybe they are being dragged into court for fixing the prices too low to stop other companies from being able to compete?