EU regulators said Tuesday they charged several companies - among them Sony Corp. - with running a cartel to fix the price of professional video tape used for television.

Though the EU declined to identify the companies, Sony spokeswoman Sylvia Shin confirmed the Japanese electronics company had been charged and would make a formal response to the European Commission.

Other companies in the video tape business - Matsushita Electric Industrial Co.'s Panasonic unit, Fujifilm Holdings Corp., Hitachi Maxell Ltd. and TDK Corp. - either declined to comment on the record or did not return calls or answer e-mails.

The European Commission said the tape is made for special video equipment used nearly exclusively by television stations and independent TV and advertising film producers.

It said the charges were based on raids it made in 2002 and information received afterward under a leniency program.

Regulators said the companies have two months to respond and can argue their case at a hearing. The EU's executive arm then comes to a conclusion and can levy fines of up to 10 percent of a company's annual global sales.

The fine can be reduced or lifted entirely for companies that cooperate with the investigation.

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