Hitachi to admit to fixing LCD prices

WASHINGTON -- Hitachi has agreed to plead guilty to conspiring to fix prices on the sale of LCD panels.

The Japan-based electronics firm agreed to pay a $31 million fine as part of its deal with the U.S. Justice Department.

Three other major producers of liquid crystal display panels have already admitted their involvement in price-fixing.

Hitachi admitted to fixing prices of the screens sold to Dell, Inc. for use in desktop monitors and notebook computers from 2001 to 2004.

LG, Sharp, and Chunghwa Picture Tubes Ltd. struck similar plea agreements last year relating to their sales of glass display screens for laptop computers, cellphones, and new TVs.