SEOUL -(Dow Jones)- Electronics retailer BrandsMart USA Inc. has filed a lawsuit with the U.S. federal court in Florida against a slew of Asian flat panel makers, including Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (005930.SE), LG Display Co. Ltd. (034220.SE), AU Optronics Corp. (2409.TW) and Toshiba Corp. (6502.TO), for allegedly fixing the prices of liquid crystal displays. The listed companies have formed an "international cartel" to eliminate competition and fix the prices of LCD panels used in consumer electronics, ranging from cell phones to televisions, from 1996 to 2006, according to a court filing in the U.S. "During the relevant period, the conspiracy affected billions of dollars of commerce throughout the United States." About 35 companies, including units of some of the LCD makers, are named as defendants in the lawsuit. "We can't comment on the suit as we have not been served," a Samsung spokesman said. An LG Display spokeswoman declined to comment. Japan's Toshiba Corp. wasn't immediately reachable for comment, while Taiwan's AUO said it was still checking the issue. -By Jung-Ah Lee, Dow Jones Newswires; 822-3700-1907; jung-ah.lee@dowjones.com
