Apple Affected by LCD Price Fixing by LG, Sharp, Chunghwa

CNet reports that LG Display, Sharp, and Chunghwa Picture Tubes pled guilty to criminal charges for LCD price-fixing and agreed to pay $585 million in fines.

The three companies worked in concert to set prices on thin-film transistor LCDs, which are used in computer monitors, notebooks, televisions, mobile phones, and various electronics, according to the antitrust unit of the Justice Department.

The three LCD companies are reported to have held meetings about setting prices on LCD displays and agreed to charge predetermined prices to customers. Apple, Dell and Motorola were among the companies affected by this illegal price-fixing.

Based on the article, Apple was only affected between September 2005 and December 2006 when the company used Sharp's LCDs for the iPod's screen.