South Korean and Taiwanese firms fined by the European Union for running a price cartel on TV screens are considering appeals against the fine. The EU fined one South Korean and four Taiwanese electronics companies more than eight hundred and fifty million dollars. The European competition watchdog said the companies had colluded to fix prices on LCD screens for televisions and computers between 2001 and 2006. It said this had a direct impact on European consumers. The vast majority of televisions and computers sold in the EU region came from Asia. A sixth company – the South Korean firm Samsung – was also accused of taking part but escaped a fine for having come forward with information about the cartel's activities.