IMPORTANT UPDATE

The Courts have approved the settlements reached with the KOA and Susumu defendants.

Please see below for more information.

Linear Resistors Class Action

Court:
Ontario Superior Court of Justice, Supreme Court of British Columbia and Superior Court of Québec.

Class Members:
If you are a Canadian who 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

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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. This class action alleges 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 action seeks recovery of these overcharges on behalf of purchasers.

Settlements

KOA and Susumu Settlements

Settlement were 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”) in 2024.

Under the terms of their respective settlement agreements, KOA agreed to pay CAD $3,300,000.00 and Susumu 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.

The KOA Settlement was approved by the Ontario Court on April 11, 2025, the BC Court on May 20, 2025 and the Québec Court on June 3, 2025 and the Susumu Settlement was approved by the Ontario Court on April 11, 2025 and the Québec Court on June 3, 2025. Class Counsel’s fee request was approved by the Ontario Court on May 2, 2025, the BC Court on May 20, 2025 and the Québec Court on June 3, 2025. These approvals resolve the class actions in their entirety. Copies of the Courts orders can be found below.

Previous Court-Approved Settlements

Respective settlements have also been reached and approved by the Courts with the following defendants:

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”).

Copies of settlement agreements and the Courts orders can be found below.

Distribution of Settlement Funds

The settlement funds (less Court-approved fees and expenses) are being held in an interest-bearing trust account for the benefit of settlement class members.

Class Counsel is preparing a “Distribution Protocol”, which will govern how the settlement funds will be distributed amongst settlement class members. The Distribution Protocol will require Court approval before it can come into effect. Once the Distribution Protocol is approved, a formal claims process will commence.

Further notices will be provided regarding Court approval of the Distribution Protocol and the claims process (including the eligibility, process and deadline to file a claim).

To receive a direct copy of all future notices, please complete the Register for Updates form above.

Case History

On September 11, 2015, our lawyers issued a Statement of Claim on behalf of all persons and entities in Canada who purchased linear resistors or a product containing linear resistors between July 9, 2003 and September 14, 2015. A second Statement of Claim was issued on April 27, 2017 against additional defendants. These actions were consolidated by Order of the Ontario Court on January 31, 2020.

Separate actions were commenced in British Columbia on behalf of BC residents and in Québec on behalf of Québec residents.

Class Counsel is working to prosecute these class actions on a national basis.

Opting Out

The period for opting out of the Linear Resistors Class Action has passed. There is no further opportunity to opt out.

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 found below.