Samsung admission could benefit Rambus

Dylan McGrath, EE Times
(11/29/2005 5:51 PM EST)

SAN FRANCISCO — Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. admitted that it conspired with other companies to fix the price of Rambus DRAM (RDRAM) between Jan. 1, 2001 and June 15, 2002, according to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) plea agreement that company representatives signed last month.

Samsung admitted that it conspired with other companies to control the price of double data rate DRAM and synchronous DRAM during "at least certain periods" from April 1, 1999 to June 15, 2002, according to the text of the agreement.

As first reported by the Wall Street Journal, the plea agreement, made public last week, could work in favor of memory interface licensor Rambus Inc., which is currently suing Samsung and other DRAM manufacturers for antitrust violations. The time period covered in the plea agreement corresponds with allegations brought by Rambus against Samsung, Micron Technology Inc. and Hynix Semiconductor.

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