TDK and NHK Spring accused of fixing prices on components used in 97% of hard drives for over a decade

A U.S. class-action lawsuit in California accuses TDK and NHK Spring of price-fixing hard drive suspension assemblies from 2003 to 2016.

The parts are said to be used in about 97% of hard disk drives, making them a critical component in the HDD supply chain.

The suit could affect buyers of affected drives and systems, including customers of major makers such as Seagate, Western Digital, and Toshiba.

The case alleges the conduct may have inflated costs for drive makers, businesses, and consumers across much of the market for more than a decade.