Czech Antitrust Office fines panel makers

The 5 companies—Chunghwa Picture Tubes Ltd., Technicolor S.A., Panasonic Corporation, MT Picture Display Co., Ltd. and Toshiba Corporation—were fined for using a cartel agreement on pricing on the Czech market between 1998 and 2004. The office also charged Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., LG Electronics Inc. and Koninklijke Philips Electronics NV with participation in the cartel. Samsung was exempted for contributing to the investigation, Chungwa Picture Tubes received a 50% reduction for similar reasons. Philips and LG Electronics were not fined, because their period of limitation had expired (both companies ended participation before July 1, 2001. Companies affected: • Chunghwa Picture Tubes, Ltd. – CZK 6’400’000 (EUR 259'000) • Technicolor S.A. – CZK 13’858’000 (EUR 560'000) • Panasonic Corporation – CZK 10’373’000 (EUR 419'000) • MT Picture Display Co., Ltd. – CZK 9’430’000 (EUR 381'000) • Toshiba Corporation – CZK 11’726’000 (EUR 474'000)