Motorola lost its appeal in a court case regarding a price fixing scheme for mobile phone displays.
The company wanted to hold foreign firms, including AU Optronics, liable for overcharging Motorola’s foreign suppliers. The US court disagreed with Motorola’s claim.
“Motorola’s foreign subsidiaries were injured in foreign commerce — in dealings with other foreign companies,” wrote Circuit Judge Richard Posner. “To give Motorola rights to take the place of its foreign companies and sue on their behalf under U.S. antitrust law would be an unjustified interference with the right of foreign nations to regulate their own economies.”
Motorola said it was disappointed with the court’s decision and was weighing its options.
In other cases, AU Optronics and a handful of other companies were found guilty of colluding to fix the prices of mobile phone screens. Verdicts against the companies have reached $1 billion.
