US lawsuit accuses Samsung, SK Hynix and Micron of worsening the RAM crisis by fixing memory prices and supply - Rock Paper Shotgun

A recent U.S. class-action lawsuit accuses Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron of colluding to manipulate memory prices and supply, worsening the ongoing RAM crisis. The suit, filed by Bathaee Dunne LLP, al... Read original →

This lawsuit exposes how the DRAM oligopoly is exploiting the AI-driven shift to HBM to systematically withdraw from commodity DDR3/DDR4 production—not due to market forces, but coordinated supply restraint. The result is artificial scarcity that inflates costs for data centers and consumer devices alike. With DRAM’s extreme capital intensity and multi-year ramp cycles, new entrants can’t quickly offset constrained supply. Regulators may echo early-2000s penalties, yet today’s geopolitical entanglements—where Samsung, SK Hynix, and Taiwan, China-based suppliers underpin U.S. AI infrastructure—limit enforcement appetite. Over the next 12–24 months, HBM overinvestment will mask persistent DDR shortages, pressuring PC and mobile OEMs. Second-tier players like CXMT may gain niche ground but lack scale to disrupt the triopoly’s structural control.