A new class action antitrust lawsuit has been filed in a California federal court against Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, and Micron Technology, accusing the three companies of illegally coordinating to restrict the supply of DRAM memory chips and inflate prices.
The lawsuit alleges that the three manufacturers which together account for roughly 90% of the global DRAM market collectively:
– Reduced production of older DDR3 and DDR4 memory chips.
– Shifted manufacturing capacity toward higher-profit high-bandwidth memory (HBM) used for AI servers.
– Created an artificial shortage of conventional DRAM.
– Drove memory prices dramatically higher, with some products reportedly increasing by as much as 700% since 2022.
According to the complaint, the coordinated supply reductions affected prices across a wide range of consumer electronics, including PCs, laptops, gaming systems, smartphones, and even some Apple products that rely on DRAM components. Plaintiffs are seeking damages and court orders to stop the alleged anticompetitive practices.
The companies have not been found liable, and the allegations remain unproven. Industry analysts note that the defendants are likely to argue that the production shift was a legitimate business response to the surge in AI demand for HBM, rather than evidence of unlawful collusion. Whether the lawsuit succeeds will largely depend on whether plaintiffs can produce evidence of coordinated behavior rather than parallel business decisions.
The case also draws attention because Samsung and SK hynix were previously involved in DRAM price fixing cases in the early 2000s, while an earlier U.S. lawsuit over alleged DRAM price fixing during the 2016–2018 period was ultimately dismissed for insufficient evidence.
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