IMPORTANT UPDATE

Settlements have been reached with the KOA and Susumu defendants.

See below for more information.

Linear Resistors Class Action

Court:
Ontario Superior Court of Justice

Class Members:
If you have purchased linear resistors, or products containing them, between July 9, 2003 and September 14, 2015, you may be a member of the proposed class.

Co-counsel:
Foreman & Company is working in concert with Siskinds LLP in Ontario, CFM Lawyers LLP in British Columbia and Belleau Lapointe s.e.n.c.r.l. in Québec (collectively “Class Counsel”) to prosecute these matters on a national basis.

The content of this page has not been approved by the Court nor does it constitute legal advice. It is for the purpose of providing general information only.

Case Contacts

Jon Foreman

Anni Barry

Jean-Marc Metrailler

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Linear resistors are small components used to regulate the current in electrical circuits and are found in most modern electronic devices. The class actions allege that certain resistors manufacturers engaged in an illegal cartel to fix prices of linear resistors in Canada.

The defendants’ conduct is alleged to have inflated the price of linear resistors, and of electronic products like computers, smartphones, gaming consoles, home appliances and televisions for consumers and businesses across Canada. The class actions seek recovery of these overcharges on behalf of purchasers.

Important Notice

New Settlements Reached

Settlement agreements have been reached with the defendants KOA Corporation and KOA Speer Electronics, Inc. (collectively “KOA” or the “KOA Settlement”) and with the defendants Susumu Co., Ltd. and Susumu International (USA) Inc. (collectively “Susumu” or the “Susumu Settlement”).

Under the terms of their respective settlement agreements, KOA has agreed to pay CAD $3,300,000.00 and Susumu has agreed to pay CAD $90,000.00 for the benefit of class members in exchange for a full release of the claims against them. The settlements are not an admission of liability, fault or wrongdoing by KOA or Susumu, but are a compromise of the disputed claims.

If the KOA and Susumu Settlement Agreements are approved by the courts, the class actions will be resolved in their entirety.

Settlement Approval

The KOA Settlement must be approved by the courts in Ontario, British Columbia and Québec before it becomes effective. The Susumu Settlement must be approved by the courts in Ontario and Québec before it becomes effective. Hearings to seek approval of the settlement agreements are scheduled to take place on February 26, 2025 in Ontario, on March 11, 2025 in British Columbia, and on April 8, 2025 in Québec. At the settlement approval hearings, the courts will determine if the KOA and Susumu Settlements are fair, reasonable and in the best interest of class members.

At the approval hearings, Class Counsel will also be requesting approval for fees of up to 30% of the settlement amounts plus disbursements and applicable taxes.

If you do not oppose the proposed settlement agreements or the legal fees requested, you do not need to appear at the hearings or take any other action at this time. If you wish to comment on or object to the settlement agreements or Class Counsel’s fees, you must send your written submission to Class Counsel, whose contact information is set out below, by February 21, 2025. Class Counsel will provide a copy of any written submissions to the courts.

For more information, please review the Short- and Long-Form Notices below.

Settlement Distribution

The settlement funds recovered in the class actions, plus accrued interest and minus court-approved Class Counsel fees, disbursements and applicable taxes, are being held in an interest-bearing trust account for the benefit of settlement class members.

A further notice will be provided regarding the proposed methodology for distributing the settlement funds, including who is eligible to claim, how claims will be valued, and the deadline and process for filing a claim.

To receive a copy of all future notices, please register for updates by sending an email to classactions@foremancompany.com or calling 1.855.814.4575 ext. 107.

Case History

Previous Settlements

Respective settlements have also previously been reached and approved by the courts with the following defendants in this action:

ROHM Co. Ltd. and ROHM Semiconductor U.S.A., LLC. (collectively “ROHM”);
Hokuriku Electric Industry Co., and HDK America Inc. (collectively “HDK”);
Kamaya Electric Co., Ltd. and Kamaya, Inc. (collectively “Kamaya”); and
Panasonic Corporation, Panasonic Corporation of North America, and Panasonic Canada Inc. (collectively “Panasonic”).

Opting-Out

The court-ordered deadline for settlement class members to opt-out of the class actions was January 29, 2021. If you did not previously opt-out, you are legally bound by the results of the class actions, including the KOA and Susumu Settlement Agreements.

Discontinuances

Discontinuances against the Murata and Yageo groups of defendants were granted by the Court in January 2020. In July 2021, discontinuances were also granted as against the TOCOS, Midori, Vishay and Alps defendants.

The Court’s Endorsements and Orders in respect of the discontinuances can be viewed in the Court Documents section further down this page.