Samsung sets $100 m for anti-trust

SEOUL: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., the world's top memory chip maker, said its U.S. subsidiary would put aside $100 million in anti-trust provisions related to a computer memory chip dispute.

Memory chipmakers including Samsung, Micron Technology Inc., Hynix Semiconductor Inc. and Infineon Technologies AG are being investigated by the U.S. Department of Justice for alleged price-fixing in 2001 and 2002.

"Samsung Electronics confirms that Samsung Semiconductor Inc., a subsidiary of SEC, is establishing a reserve fund in the amount of $100 million in connection with the Department of Justice's DRAM pricing investigation," it said in a statement.

"The outcome of this matter cannot be predicted at this time. The company is unable to comment on an ongoing government investigation."

Infineon became the first chip maker to plead guilty in the two-year probe in September, admitting to conspiring with unnamed manufacturers to fix the prices of dynamic random access memory, or DRAM, chips from 1999 to 2002.

Micron, Samsung and Hynix have acknowledged involvement in the probe and said they would cooperate with the investigation.

The U.S. Justice Department said the conspiracy had driven up the price of chips used in products ranging from personal computers and servers to cell phones, cameras and game consoles. The $160 million fine for Infineon is the third-largest anti-trust penalty ever imposed by the U.S. government.

Memory prices have swung dramatically over the years, sometimes for opaque reasons, prompting complaints of cartel-like activity. Memory chip makers have denied these allegations.