OTTAWA -- The Supreme Court of Canada will hear two appeals from major electronics companies in a pair of British Columbia class-action suits that allege a global price-fixing conspiracy between 2004 and 2009.
The suits, first filed by Whistler, B.C., businessman Neil Godfrey in 2010, allege the companies overcharged purchasers of optical disc drives and products containing them, such as computers and video game consoles.
The suits -- involving more than 40 defendants, including powerhouses such as Sony, Toshiba, Samsung, Philips, Panasonic and Pioneer -- were certified as a class action in 2016, a decision upheld on appeal.
Godfrey's suit notes that in 2009 and 2012, authorities in the United States and Europe levelled multimillion-dollar fines against optical disc suppliers over allegations of bid-rigging and price-fixing.
The Supreme Court says the two appeals will be heard together.
As usual, the justices gave no reasons for agreeing to hear the appeals.
