The cartel allegations against German carmakers could also have legal consequences in the USA. Throw three customers Volkswagen . Daimler and BMW to have violated US competition law, among other things with illegal agreements on prices and exhaust technology. The corresponding Complaint behind which the law firm Robins Kaplan stands , was charged at a court in the state of New Jersey.
The US lawyers rely in their allegations mainly on information from German press reports. The practice of detailed, over decades lasting collusion between the car manufacturers Porsche, Audi, VW and BMW had the SPIEGEL revealed in its current issue ,
Video: How did the car cartel work? DER SPIEGEL reveals the system
They have filed the lawsuit as a potential class action lawsuit, which, if approved as such, could be joined by other car owners and lessees. The plaintiffs demand penalties and damages for infringement of antitrust law as well as breaches of consumer protection laws and unlawful enrichment.
The complaint was sent to the German producers; they must respond under US law within 21 days. Also the VW daughters Audi . Porsche and Bentley are among the defendants.
The 69-page complaint also states that the department of the US Department of Justice has opened an investigation into the suspected cartel. A spokesman did not want to confirm this on demand – the ministry does not comment.