The price of devices on the market will continue to rise this year because the demand for RAM is higher than the production capacity. RAM manufacturers can set high prices and desperate customers will pay them to ensure that the products can be marketed. Recently, a class action lawsuit has been filed against Samsung, SK Hynix and Micron for allegedly conspiring to reduce the supply of RAM needed to raise prices.
The lawsuit was filed in California by 17 plaintiffs consisting of several PC businesses in the United States using the Sherman Act claim that prohibits monopolies in the United States. Samsung, SK Hynix and Micron hold 90% of the global RAM production market.
They are accused of using the excuse of switching to HBM RAM production to meet the needs of data centers to reduce the production of DDR4 and DDR3 needed by other sectors. This has created a shortage that allows high prices to be set. In four years, RAM prices have increased by 700%. The plaintiffs are asking for the lawsuit to be accepted as a class action, injunctions and treble damages.
Due to high demand for RAM this year, Samsung became the first South Korean company to reach a market value of $1 trillion, followed by SK Hynix. Samsung's revenue, for example, jumped nearly eightfold, leading union members to threaten an 18-day strike if they were not given a fair bonus last month. To avoid production being affected, Samsung agreed to pay a bonus of KRW 513 million (~RM 1.3 million) to Samsung Semiconductor employees.
