Option consommateurs c. Panasonic, Sanyo, Nippon, Hitachi, and others (electrolytic capacitors - price fixing)
Description
On August 6, 2014, Mr. Louis-Alexandre Leclaire filed a motion for authorization to exercise a class action against several manufacturers of electrolytic capacitors. On November 12, 2015, the Superior Court authorized Option consommateurs to join this action as petitioner.
These companies are accused of having conspired between January 2005 and August 2014 to reduce competition and artificially fix the price of electrolytic capacitors. The alleged acts contravened the Competition Act and led consumers to pay too much for capacitors or products containing them. This class action is designed to compensate these consumers.
Electrolytic capacitors are used in the electronic circuits of a large number of electrical and electronic consumer devices. They are found in power supplies, personal computers, LCD monitors and TVs, cell phones, digital players, digital cameras and household appliances. Option consommateurs and Mr. Leclaire are represented by Belleau Lapointe.
Our members
Any person, company or association with 50 or fewer employees who purchased one or more electrolytic capacitors or one or more products equipped with one or more electrolytic capacitors in Quebec between January 1, 2005 and August 1, 2014.
Where we are
Agreements have been signed with ELNA Co, Ltd. and ELNA America, Inc. (collectively, "ELNA") and with Holy Stone Enterprise Co, Ltd., Vishay Polytech Co, Ltd. f/k/a Holy Stone Polytech Co., Ltd. and Milestone Global Technology, Inc. d/b/a Holy Stone International, Holy Stone Holdings Co. Ltd. and Vishay Intertechnology, Inc. (collectively "Holy Stone").
ELNA and Holy Stone have agreed to pay $2,475,000 and $790,000 respectively, for a total value of $3,265,000, for the benefit of class members in the electrolytic capacitor case. ELNA and Holy Stone have also agreed to pay $25,000 and $10,000 respectively, for a total value of $35,000, for the benefit of the film capacitor class members. The agreement also provides for ELNA and Holy Stone to cooperate with the plaintiffs in the lawsuit against the other defendants in the class actions. In exchange, these companies will obtain a full release of claims against them in connection with the class actions.
These agreements must be approved by the courts before coming into force. To learn more about these agreements, please consult the notices published below.
Previous agreements have been reached with Nitsuko, Okaya and Tokin, Panasonic and Sanyo on electrolytic and film capacitors, all of which have been approved by earlier rulings.
To be kept informed of progress
If you are a member of this group, we invite you to to join the membership list on the website of Belleau Lapointe, the law firm which represents Option consommateurs in this matter.
Relevant documents
- Motion for authorization to institute a class action
- Amended application for authorization to operate a class action (October 13, 2017)
- Notice of publication (Film)
- Avis court (Film)
- Avis long (Film)
- Notice of publication (Electrolytic)
- Short notice (Electrolytic)
- Long notice (Electrolytic)
- Settlement Agreement - Okaya
- Settlement Agreement - Nitsuko
- Settlement Agreement - NEC TOKIN
- Judgment on the approval of the Nitsuko transaction
- Judgment on the approval of the Okaya transaction
- Tokin transaction approval ruling
- Judgment of authorization
- English short notice (Panasonic)
- French short notice (Panasonic)
- Long French review (Panasonic)
- Long English notice (Panasonic)
- Transaction (Panasonic)
- Avis court français (ELNA and Holy Stone)
- Avis long français (ELNA and Holy Stone)
- English short notices (ELNA and Holy Stone)
- English long notices (ELNA and Holy Stone)