Asia-Pacific

Computer makers may seek battery recalls redress from Sony

(AP)
Updated: 2006-10-16 10:38

TOKYO - Japanese computer makers Toshiba, Fujitsu and Hitachi said Monday they are considering seeking compensation from Sony Corp. over the massive recall of Sony-made batteries used in their laptop computers.

A recalled notebook battery made by Sony Corp. is displayed in an undated file photo. [Reuters]

Toshiba Corp., which is recalling 830,000 Sony battery packs, said it "doesn't rule out" seeking compensation from Sony for lost business or damage to its brand image as a result of the recall, Dow Jones newswire reported.

It is studying various possibilities and has not made a final decision, Dow Jones said, quoting a Toshiba spokesman who spoke on condition of anonimity.

Fujitsu Ltd. said seeking compensation was "possible" but that it needed to carry out its recall first before deciding the extent of damage on the company's business, the report said.

Fujitsu announced last week that it would replace 51,000 more Sony-made laptop batteries around the world, in addition to the recall of 287,000 others earlier this month.

Hitachi Ltd., which is recalling about 16,000 Sony batteries, also said seeking a compensation from Sony is an option, the report said.

The massive global recall of Sony lithium-ion batteries followed the discovery that the batteries can short-circuit and cause some computers to overheat and possibly catch fire.

Nearly every major laptop maker was forced to tell customers to return Sony-made lithium ion batteries, with more than 7 million batteries subject to replacement worldwide.

The largest recalls have been by Dell Inc., with 4.2 million batteries affected, and Apple Computer Inc., with 1.8 million batteries. Sony expects costs of at least US$170 million related to the Dell and Apple recalls.