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Jury convicts AU Optronics and its subsidiary and former executives

By  |  March 13, 2012

A federal jury has convicted Taiwan-based AU Optronics and its U.S. subsidiary, AU Optronics Corporation America, for their roles in a price-fixing conspiracy for TFT-LCD panels sold around the world. The jury has also convicted former executives Hsuan Bin Chen and Hui Hsiung. The companies and the individuals had been indicted on June 9, 2010, and the trial began on January 9, 2012.

According to the DOJ, the conspiracy lasted for at least five years, between 2001 and 2006, and meetings with competitors were held at hotel conference rooms, karaoke bars, and tea rooms in Taiwan. The jury found that illicit profits from the sales of the LCD panels amounted to at least $500 million.

AU Optronics has already vowed to appeal the guilty verdict and any resulting fines.

Full content: DOJ Press Release

 

Related content: Recovery in the U.S. for Price Fixing Abroad: The Future of FTAIA Litigation (Alicia Batts & Keith Butler, Proskauer Rose)