Brussels, 21/10/2015 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 21 October, the European Commission announced that it had handed down fines of a total of €116 million to eight suppliers of optical disc drives for having coordinated their behaviour in tendering procedures organised by two computer manufacturers, Dell and Hewlett Packard (HP), in breach of EU rules.
Philips, Lite-On, their joint company Philips & Lite-On Digital Solutions, Hitachi-LG Data Storage, Toshiba Samsung Storage Technology, Sony, Sony Optiarc and Quanta Storage participated in the cartel between June 2014 and November 2008 (the length of participation varies between these companies), notifying each other of their intentions as regarding their bidding strategies to secure contracts. They shared the results of calls for tender and exchanged commercially sensitive information on the optical disc drives used in laptop and desktop computers. They organised a network of parallel bilateral contacts aiming to apply a single plan, in order to avoid aggressive competition in the calls for tender organised by Dell and HP.
Philips, Lite-On and their joint company Philips & Lite-On Digital Solutions were granted total immunity as they were the first to reveal the existence of the cartel. Toshiba Samsung Storage Technology was handed the heaviest fine, €41 million. Hitachi-LG Data Storage was fined €37 million, Sony €21 million, Sony Optiarc nearly €10 million and Quanta Storage €7 million. (Original version in French by Élodie Lamer)