US: SCOTUS to weigh state vs. federal suits against LCD price-fixers

The US Supreme Court has reportedly agreed to hear a case to rule whether the state of Mississippi can proceed to sue AU Optronics, a Taiwan-based manufacturer of LCD screens accused of a global price-fixing scandal, in state court. According to reports, state courts tend to lean in favor of plaintiffs; AU Optronics, as well as other LCD makers sued by other states, looked to have the cases moved to federal court. Thirteen states in all have initiated lawsuits against the companies, which continue to face various lawsuits and criminal investigations concerning the allegations of price-fixing. The Supreme Court only agreed to hear Mississippi’s case, however; AU Optronics succeeded in motioning the move the case from a Mississippi court to a federal one. The 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals denied to move the lawsuit back to state level. According to reports, the nation’s highest appeals court will now rule whether state-level lawsuits filed by citizens can be interpreted similar to a class action and therefore be allowed to move to federal courts.

Full Content: Thomson Reuters

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