Three largest RAM makers face class action over alleged collusion that sent memory prices soaring

A class action lawsuit filed in California federal court accuses Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron of conspiring to fix prices and artificially restrict the supply of DRAM memory chips, according to multiple reports. The complaint, filed on June 25 in the Northern District of California, alleges that the three companies, which dominate global DRAM production, coordinated efforts to inflate prices beyond normal market forces (videogameschronicle.com, insider-gaming.com). The plaintiffs include 14 individual consumers and three small businesses, among them PC retailers, who claim the alleged collusion has driven up memory costs dramatically (Hacker News).

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videogameschronicle.comClass action lawsuit accuses Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron of conspiring to fix DRAM prices and supplyinsider-gaming.comClass action lawsuit accuses Samsung, Micron, and SK Hynix of RAM price-fixing

The lawsuit contends that the price increases were not simply a result of surging demand from AI data centers, but rather a deliberate scheme. The complaint describes a period over four years during which DRAM prices soared by 700%, a trend that has been dubbed "chipflation" by some observers (Hacker News). Separately, the phenomenon has also been referred to as "RAMageddon" in media coverage of rising memory costs (videogameschronicle.com).

"The plaintiffs claim the three companies, which dominate global D-RAM production, colluded on supply to drive prices up by 700% over four years"

That staggering increase has had ripple effects beyond PC components. According to Hacker News, the price fixing contributed to higher prices for Apple products, as the cost of DRAM is a significant factor in device manufacturing. The lawsuit seeks class-action status, aiming to represent all affected consumers in the United States (insider-gaming.com).

The allegations are not the first time these manufacturers have faced scrutiny for anticompetitive behavior. Videogameschronicle.com noted that the complaint asserts the three companies have been "actively working together to squeeze supply and inflate prices" in a pattern that allegedly continues a history of collusion in the DRAM market. The case now heads to a federal judge who will determine whether to certify the class and proceed with discovery.