LCD makers in $553 million U.S. price-fixing accord

(Reuters) - Samsung Electronics Co, Sharp Corp and five other makers of liquid crystal displays agreed to pay $553 million to settle consumer and state regulatory claims that they conspired to fix prices for LCD panels in televisions, notebook computers and monitors. The settlement is the latest arising from lawsuits alleging the creation of an illegal international cartel designed to inflate prices and stifle competition in the LCD panel market between 1999 and 2006, affecting billions of dollars of U.S. commerce. ...