Update October 2010: Panasonic ($49.1 million) and Whirlpool (a subsidiary of Embraco North America) ($91.8 million) have agreed to pay criminal fines in the U.S. case. The investigation is on-going.
Update March 2009: An appliance company has filed a putative class action on behalf of appliance sellers against Whirlpool, Tecumseh, and Panasonic, three compressor manufacturers that believed to be under investigation by U.S. and European authorities for allegedly participating in price fixing scheme.
The EU confirmed surprise inspections of refrigeration and freezer compressor producers in Belgium and possibly other member states for possible price fixing violations. Two days later, the US Department of Justice confirmed that it too is investigating compressor manufacturers.