14 consumers and 3 businesses sue Samsung, SK Hynix, Micron in California federal court over alleged DRAM supply coordination since 2022

The complaint asserts the three firms, controlling over 95 percent of global DRAM output, synchronized cuts to DDR3 and DDR4 lines under the cover of HBM capacity shifts. Plaintiffs tie the timing to Apple's subsequent hardware price hikes and cite internal supply data showing synchronized fab allocation changes across 2022-2025. Court records reference the firms' prior 2005 guilty pleas and $300 million-plus fines in the same district for identical conduct. Production data from TrendForce and DRAMeXchange show quarterly bit supply growth falling below 5 percent during the alleged period while contract ASPs rose from $1.80 to $12.60. If certified as a class, the suit exposes the sector to treble damages under Sherman Act Section 1, directly affecting BOM costs for PCs, servers, and consumer electronics. Historical precedent shows the 2005 case produced no sustained output increase after fines. Operational outcome hinges on class certification and discovery of meeting records; absent new evidence of explicit agreements, prior DOJ reviews found parallel conduct insufficient for criminal charges.