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High memory prices for end customers have led to the first lawsuit in the U.S. On June 25, 2026, a class-action lawsuit was filed against the three industry giants—Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron—who must now respond to the charges in a U.S. federal court in California.
Allegations: Artificial Shortages and Price Fixing
The central allegation in the lawsuit is that memory manufacturers are restricting the supply of memory for the consumer market while continuing to serve customers in the AI sector. Specifically, the complaint alleges that the memory manufacturers simultaneously reduced or even discontinued production of, for example, DDR3 and DDR4, favoring HBM and thereby limiting the availability of conventional memory, while prices rose at the same time. In doing so, they “exacerbated this so-called RAMpocalypse by fixing memory supply and prices,” the complaint further alleges.
The allegations date back to 2022. At that time, demand for DRAM was extremely low; in response, the defendants are alleged to have begun jointly coordinating and adjusting availability and prices. As a result, prices rose by about 700 percent within four years.
However, the indictment argues that in a competitive market, at least one of the three industry giants would normally have significantly increased production if prices were rising sharply—but that did not happen. Not a single one of the three manufacturers took advantage of the others’ withdrawal to win over customers; instead, all three withdrew in unison, the indictment further states.
The lawsuit consists of 17 plaintiffs, some of whom are private individuals and others small businesses, who are now represented by several law firms.
Entry into the Market Virtually Impossible for New Companies
The complaint also points out that there have been legal proceedings against the three manufacturers in the past. In some cases, judgments were even handed down; for example, Samsung and SK Hynix were ordered to pay millions, while Micron acted as a key witness and escaped punishment. The central issue at the time was price-fixing in the so-called DRAM cartel; back then, in addition to Samsung and SK Hynix, Infineon, NEC, Hitachi, Mitsubishi, Toshiba, Elpida, and Nanya were also required to pay fines, as the collusion dated back to 1998.
A thorn in the side back then—and even more so today—is that virtually no other manufacturer can succeed in entering this market. The costs are far too high, and the entire process takes a very long time, from manufacturing to customer qualification. In addition, the technologies are based on know-how built up over decades, and U.S. sanctions further complicate entry for Chinese companies, the complaint argues. The bottom line is that it is anything but easy for a new manufacturer to gain a foothold here, the complaint concludes.
The complaint seeks to “remedy the ongoing effects of the defendants’ unlawful and anticompetitive conduct,” in addition to damages, litigation costs, and attorneys’ fees. According to the current schedule, the first hearings and dates for testimony on the matter are expected to take place in September of this year.
