The Memory Industry's Legal Problems
 

Over just the last decade, the memory industry has been through no less than three major shakeups. The first is the infamous and now settled RAMBUS patent case, started in 2000 where RAMBUS asserted that it held patents on technology used in DDR RAM and wanted royalties as such, only to be found guilty of breaking antitrust and deception laws in acquiring these patents and covertly trying to influence the memory market. The second case involves the Big 10 memory manufacturers colluding to keep RAM prices artificially high between 1998 and 2002, to which they were found guilty. Finally, a new investigation has opened up as of this year in to the flash memory market, where the Justice Department is trying to figure out if there is evidence of collusion and price-fixing there too.

http://www.anandtech.com/memory/showdoc.aspx?i=3130

I think it is safe to say, the cartel is pretty busted right now.

I would think the same, except they keep announcing new investigations every time the alst one seems to be drawing to a close. I doubt DDR3 will turn out to be any different considering how competitive it has already become.