Manufacturers of HDD components are suspected of inflating prices for more than 13 years

Collective lawsuit against HDD component manufacturers in the United States

In the United States almost all major suppliers of hard disk drive (HDD) components have been hit: they are facing a collective lawsuit accusing them of participating in price-fixing. According to the plaintiffs, because of such an agreement prices for HDDs rose and, as a result, reseller and end‑user costs increased.

Key facts
What it looks likeThe defendantsTwo groups: 1) companies linked to TDK; 2) companies linked to NHK Spring. Market impactComponents from these firms are found in 97 % of all HDDs worldwide, so the lawsuit covers products from leading manufacturers – Seagate, Western Digital and Toshiba. Period of alleged collusionFrom January 2003 to December 31 2016Approved consequencesOverpriced HDD production costs that ultimately shifted the burden onto consumers.Potential compensationIf the plaintiffs win, American trade companies and end users could receive monetary payments.

Litigation
* The court hearing date has not yet been set, and there are no guarantees of success – this is emphasized by the plaintiff side.

* Lawsuits in the United States are a direct continuation of an antitrust case from 2019, which involved the same defendants.

* In Canada a similar collective lawsuit was already approved, and the appeal was rejected in 2022.

Technical aspect
Magnetic head suspensions – a key component of HDDs. They move the read/write head (the “needle” tip) and require exceptional precision both during manufacturing and operation. These components became the subject of price‑fixing allegations.

Opportunity to participate
Consumers can opt out of the collective lawsuit and pursue their case individually. To do so, they must file a request by August 23 2026.