Tag Archives: gadget

Nokia Files Lawsuit Complaint Against 11 LCD Manufacturers In San Francisco Court. Alleges Price Fixing

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nokia-n96-n-gage-conceptNokia Corp. is suing 11 companies and a number of their units in the U.S., alleging they colluded to fix prices on liquid crystal displays.

Nokia’s suit comes as the LCD industry begins to emerge from a long downturn that had led to weak panel prices. LCDs are used in screens for mobile phones, personal computers and televisions.

The Finnish mobile handset giant alleges in the complaint—filed Nov. 25 with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California in San Francisco—that the companies raised “the price of LCDs above the price that would have prevailed in a competitive market” from at least Jan. 1, 1996 through Dec. 11, 2006.

Nokia said it purchased LCDs from the companies and then incorporated them into its mobile wireless handsets.

Three of the LCD makers accused in the suit said Tuesday they hadn’t received any documents from the U.S. court, three others said they were looking into the matter, two declined to comment and the rest couldn’t be reached for comment.

Nokia spokesman Mark Durrant said his company also filed related complaints in the U.K., against makers of LCDs and cathode ray tubes, which are used in older televisions.

Nokia believes it has a strong position in the case because there is no doubt that price fixing has been going on, Mr. Durrant said, though he declined to say how much money could be involved.

Mr. Durrant said it could take a few years to reach a settlement in court, but added that his company is interested in discussing compensation outside of the court system.

Analysts said legal battles take a while to settle so the suit won’t likely have an immediate impact on the LCD makers, though they said the companies may need to set aside provisions from their earnings in the longer term.

The complaint against the group of companies—which includes AU Optronics Corp., Chunghwa Picture Tubes Ltd., Samsung Electronics Co., Sharp Corp. and LG Display Co.—is the latest in a string of accusations of price fixing in the LCD industry.

AT&T Corp. alleged in a suit filed in October in U.S. District Court in San Francisco that AU Optronics, LG Display, Samsung Electronics and other LCD makers were involved in a “long-running conspiracy” from January 1996 to December 2006 to fix prices of LCD panels.

That complaint, filed by AT&T and its BellSouth and Pacific Bell units, Southwestern Bell Telephone Co. and others, alleged the LCD makers formed an international cartel to illegally restrict competition in the U.S. for LCD panels.

Nokia’s complaint also comes about a year after the U.S. Justice Department fined several LCD makers for price fixing.

Sharp, Chunghwa and LG Display agreed in November 2008 to plead guilty to the U.S. charges of price fixing in the LCD market from as early as April 2001 to December 2006. The companies paid $585 million in criminal fines.

Samsung Electronics, the world’s largest LCD maker, wasn’t cited in the Justice Department’s decision but it cooperated with U.S. investigators in the probe, people close to the case said. The probe into the LCD industry became public in 2006.

The European Commission in May 2009 sent formal charges to a number of companies supplying LCDs on suspicion that they have operated a cartel. The commission didn’t name the companies at the time but in July, Philips Electronics N.V. confirmed it received cartel charges from the European Commission alleging price fixing.

Other companies named in Nokia’s suit include Philips Electronics, Tatung Co., Seiko EpsonCorp., Samsung SDI Co., Hitachi Displays Ltd. and Toshiba Corp.

Hitachi Displays agreed in March to plead guilty to the U.S. Justice Department’s price-fixing charges and paid a $31 million fine. Hitachi isn’t a defendant in the AT&T case.

“Nokia suffered damages as a result…and is entitled to treble damages and injunctive relief to remedy these injuries,” Nokia said in its complaint.

Chunghwa Picture Tubes deputy spokesman Wilbur Chien said Tuesday his company hasn’t received any court documents and declined to comment further on the Nokia case. Freda Lee, a spokeswoman for AU Optronics, also said the company hasn’t received any court documents from the U.S.

A Tatung investor relations official also said the company hasn’t received any official documents from the court.

Toshiba spokesman Keisuke Ohmori declined to comment. Samsung Electronics also declined to comment.

Officials at Seiko Epson, Samsung SDI and LG Display said they were looking into the matter, while officials at Sharp, Hitachi, and Philips, weren’t immediately available for comment.

 

New Research Shows The Average Consumer Has 2.8 Pieces Of Unused, Broken, Or Obsolete Electronics Equipment In Their Home Or Storage Area.

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November 19, 2009

The volume of obsolete electronics equipment entering the world’s landfills continues to rise and is expected to reach 73 million metric tons by 2010, placing a significant burden on solid waste management systems.  According to a recent survey of more than 1,000 Americans published by Pike Research, consumer awareness of the e-waste threat is increasing, and 76% of respondents stated that recycling is the most appropriate way to handle unused, broken, or obsolete electronics equipment at the end of its useful life.

“The consumer is an integral link in the chain for electronics recycling and e-waste management,” says managing director Clint Wheelock.  “In order for the industry to achieve its goals, consumer values, attitudes, and behavior will need to support responsible handling of end-of-life electronics equipment. Popular sentiment is also essential to support the political will of governments as they strive to mitigate e-waste issues through legislation and regulation.”

Key findings of Pike Research’s survey include the following consumer insights:

  • 37% of consumers felt that electronics recycling should be free, and an additional 35% stated that electronics should be collected and processed as part of a curbside recycling program.
  • Only 14% felt that the cost of electronics recycling should be borne by consumers at the points of purchase or recycling.  10% supported the concept of “producer responsibility” where the manufacturer pays, an approach increasingly being adopted by many OEMs.
  • The average consumer has 2.8 pieces of unused, broken, or obsolete electronics equipment in their home or storage area.
  • The average consumer surveyed estimated that the cost  of collecting, hauling, demanufacturing, and recycling a single piece of used electronics equipment is $12, however Pike Research’s analysis indicates that the true cost is more than $20.

Pike Research’s study, “Electronics Recycling and E-Waste Issues”, provides a comprehensive analysis of the global e-waste landscape.  The report includes SWOT analysis for key sectors, analysis of consumer survey results, and forecasts for e-waste generation and processing volumes through 2025.   The consumer survey referenced above was a structured, web-based questionnaire conducted among a nationally representative and demographically balanced sample of U.S. consumers.   An Executive Summary of the report is available for free download on the firm’s website.

Pike Research is a market research and consulting firm that provides in-depth analysis of global clean technology markets.  The company’s research methodology combines supply-side industry analysis, end-user primary research and demand assessment, and deep examination of technology trends to provide a comprehensive view of the Smart Energy, Clean Transportation, Clean Industry, Corporate Sustainability, and Building Efficiency sectors.  For more information, visitwww.pikeresearch.com or call +1.303.997.7609.

WTB: We Buy Scrap Telecom Equipment & Scrap Cell Phones

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Scrap_Power_SuppliesPhonedriveusa LLC (www.telecomrecycling.com) is buying Telecom Circuit Cards,  Complete or Decommissioned, Out of Service & Obsoleted Telecom Equipment ,Outdoor Cabinets (Aluminum Frames) or Indoor Cabinets (Steel Frames).

We also buy scrap cell phones and pay up to $4 per pound. (Minimum 500 pounds)

We pay for freight and and will wire funds to your account. References available on request.

  • Call (888)431-2710

Serious inquiries only.

www.telecomrecycling.com

1st International Electronics Recycling Conference & Expo (IERCE 2009)

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The  first International Electronics Recycling Conference and Expo was recently held in Los Angeles, California. With over 40 speakers, several hundred attendees and 50 exhibitors, the event was a huge success. Most participants are already looking forward to next year’s event. Participants included exhibitors and representatives from over 300 electronics manufacturers, electronics resellers and electronic waste management companies representing over 20 nations.

In addition to 20 educative sessions, discussions and presentations from speakers including Jim Puckett, Executive Director of the Basel Action Network, the 2 day event  also included a trade-show with exhibitors ranging from electronics resellers, recyclers, certification consultants, environmental groups and more. ” We made a lot of potentially lucrative deals and the sessions were highly informative , I’ve learned a lot and made a lot of contacts in 2 days” states Sharmaine Robinson who is Vice President of Sales and  Marketing at IT renew, an electronics recycling and asset recovery corporation based in Newark , California.

Electronic Recyclers International (ERI), the nation’s leading recycler of electronic waste, received the prestigious “Electronic Recycler of the Year” award at this year’s International Electronics Recycling Conference & Expo. Other award winners included the Seattle based environmental watchdog group, Basel Action Network, Canadian based recycler G.E.E.P &  Dexter, Michigan based wireless handset recycler, Recellular.

“We believe our honorees are great examples and true leaders in the responsible yet environmentally-friendly management of end of life, defective and surplus electronic assets” states Ismail Oyekan, Program Director of the International Electronics Recycling Expo. “Electronic waste from surplus and end of life assets represent the fastest growing waste streams globally and our event is designed to bring together leading experts in an ideal platform to learn new market trends and exchange best practice ideas”.

“It’s truly a humbling honor to be recognized as the leader in our industry,” said John S. Shegerian, ERI’s Chairman and CEO. “That we received the recognition at this terrific, forward thinking event, the International Electronics Recycling Conference & Expo, makes it even more special because we know those monitoring our industry the closest are the ones who have decided to single us out. We congratulate the organizers of this event for bringing together the planet’s top electronic recyclers for an exchange of ideas. At ERI, we work every day to make sure we are setting an example of sustainability and environmental responsibility that we hope all electronic recyclers follow. This kind of recognition helps inspire our entire team to continue with that cause.”

For more information including future dates, registration and exhibitor info visit www.electronicsrecyclingexpo.com

EcoATM Arrives in Stores – Accepts Used Cell Phones, Spits Out Store Credit

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Could gadget recycling get easier than this? In a similar vein as ATM-like change machines, where you bring your bucket-o-coins, dump them in and out pops a far more convenient currency, EcoATM wants to buy back your old cell phones with this cool kiosk. Insert cell phone, withdraw currency.
EcoATM has set up a kiosk at the Nebraska Furniture Mart, where visitors can drop off a cell phone and instantly get store credit or a gift card. EcoATM wants this to be a regular feature in stores all over the place, encouraging people to recycle their mobile devices thanks to sheer ease. No printing free shipping labels to mail off devices to recyclers (though that is darn near equally easy), or clicking through buy back websites to find out the trade-in value (um..also very easy, but still…). You just would head down to a favorite store, drop off the phone, and start shopping.
CNET reports, “The self-serve e-cycling station electronically inspects phones, assigns them real-time secondary market value, and provides in-store payment–if the handset still has any monetary worth. If not, consumers can choose to assign the device to the recycle bin, and then it’s on its way to getting recycled or refurbished.”
The EcoATM has proven itself very successful, collecting 23 phones on day one alone. That success will spread as the company installs machines at wireless stores and big-box retailers in San Diego, Texas, Washington state, and Vermont this year. They also plan an even bigger roll-out in the middle of next year. It’s a no-brainer for the retail stores, as they get the machines for free, plus get that much more help complying with municipal e-waste laws. Machines will be upgraded eventually to expand to gadgets beyond cell phones, bringing the gadget buy-back experience offline and in more people’s sphere of thought.
Hopefully, putting machines like this front and center will increase the numbers of devices that stay within the consumer stream, rather than get directed towards landfills. However, as noted, some phones will go straight to recycling, so ensuring that they’re properly recycled and not sent to e-waste dumps is a definite concern. Despite good intentions by some in the recycling stream, gadgets don’t always find aecoatm-cashhappy recycled ending.

Could gadget recycling get easier than this? In a similar vein as ATM-like change machines, where you bring your bucket-o-coins, dump them in and out pops a far more convenient currency, EcoATM wants to buy back your old cell phones with this cool kiosk. Insert cell phone, withdraw currency.

EcoATM has set up a kiosk at the Nebraska Furniture Mart, where visitors can drop off a cell phone and instantly get store credit or a gift card. EcoATM wants this to be a regular feature in stores all over the place, encouraging people to recycle their mobile devices thanks to sheer ease. No printing free shipping labels to mail off devices to recyclers (though that is darn near equally easy), or clicking through buy back websites to find out the trade-in value (um..also very easy, but still…). You just would head down to a favorite store, drop off the phone, and start shopping.

CNET reports, “The self-serve e-cycling station electronically inspects phones, assigns them real-time secondary market value, and provides in-store payment–if the handset still has any monetary worth. If not, consumers can choose to assign the device to the recycle bin, and then it’s on its way to getting recycled or refurbished.”

The EcoATM has proven itself very successful, collecting 23 phones on day one alone. That success will spread as the company installs machines at wireless stores and big-box retailers in San Diego, Texas, Washington state, and Vermont this year. They also plan an even bigger roll-out in the middle of next year. It’s a no-brainer for the retail stores, as they get the machines for free, plus get that much more help complying with municipal e-waste laws. Machines will be upgraded eventually to expand to gadgets beyond cell phones, bringing the gadget buy-back experience offline and in more people’s sphere of thought.

Hopefully, putting machines like this front and center will increase the numbers of devices that stay within the consumer stream, rather than get directed towards landfills. However, as noted, some phones will go straight to recycling, so ensuring that they’re properly recycled and not sent to e-waste dumps is a definite concern. Despite good intentions by some in the recycling stream, gadgets don’t always find a happy recycled ending.