Allegations of lens price fixing in Germany raised by the Bundeskartellamt (BKA) German Federal Cartel Office have been refuted by three of the five manufacturers accused of making cartel agreements (News 18.06.10).
Essilor, Rodenstock and Rupp+Hubrach Optik (R+H) have all rejected the allegations, while Carl Zeiss Vision (CZV) said it was giving careful consideration of its option to appeal against the fines imposed on the manufacturers.
In a statement to Optician, R+H chief executive officer Ralf Thiehofe, who is not one of seven employees accused by the BKA of fixing lens prices, said that at no time had there been any arrangement regarding the retail price of spectacle lenses.
'The market has always reflected a very different picture. Pricing structures in the optical industry are wide-ranging and varied. The consumer can choose as never before between low, mid and high price products,' he said.
Anticipating that proceedings to clarify the allegations in the Regional High Court in Dusseldorf would last two to three years and cost a significant amount of time and money, R+H questioned whether the 'outcome would justify the means'.
Rodenstock told Optician that the sales prices of complete lenses or spectacles themselves were never included in discussions between the five manufacturers.
'Neither end-users nor opticians have suffered any losses since 2000 [when the five manufacturers started meeting on a regular basis]. The net ex-works prices for lenses only increased in keeping with the general inflation rate during the period which was investigated by the Federal Cartel Department,' said the Rodenstock statement.
Optician reported last week that Essilor contested the validity of the BKA's conclusions and planned to appeal against the fines imposed against it and R+H amounting to €50m.
CZV told Optician that it had cooperated fully with the Federal Cartel Office from the start of the investigation and its cooperation had been taken into account by the BKA and the fine imposed on CZV had been reduced accordingly.
Hoya had not provided a statement by the time Optician went to press.