Memory chipmakers face US class-action over DRAM shift

For practitioners: Shifts in wafer allocation toward high-bandwidth memory (HBM) materially change supply risk and procurement cost for AI infrastructure buyers. A proposed US class-action lawsuit filed in the Northern District of California names Samsung Electronics, SK hynix and Micron Technology as defendants, alleging the three firms coordinated to reduce supply of conventional DRAM (including DDR3 and DDR4) while ramping HBM production, according to reporting by The Korea Herald and Economic Times. The complaint, filed by 17 plaintiffs described as consumers and small businesses, claims DRAM prices rose roughly 700% over four years, a figure cited in coverage by Investor's Business Daily and ChoSun. Industry sources quoted by The Korea Herald say the case faces a high burden of proof and that capacity reallocation toward HBM has been publicly documented; Micron provided a statement that, in Investor's Business Daily's reporting, reads: "Micron disagrees with the allegations contained in the complaint. We compete vigorously, fairly and in compliance with all applicable laws wherever we do business."