XPost: comp.sys.mac.misc

Only available in some parts of the US, if you're lucky.

From PCWorld (via TechConnect.com) ...


If you own a PC with a DVD drive, you may get a $10 settlement
--------------------------------------------------------------
Don't expect your money anytime soon, however.

DVD drives may be a thing of the past, but the past could pay
you $10 via a proposed settlement from a class-action suit.

If you purchased a DVD-ROM, DVD-RW or combination drive
between April, 2003 and December 31, 2008, a collection of
DVD drive manufacturers have tentatively agreed to pay you
$10 per drive, whether you purchased the drive as part of a
PC or by itself. You'll simply need to visit the claim site
(https://www.opticaldiskdriveantitrust.com/#two) and testify
(under penalty of perjury) that you indeed purchased those
drives within the given time period, and live in one of the
23 states (plus the District of Columbia) covered by the
suit. The deadline to file is July 1.

Why this matters: Though the optical drive market continues
to decrease ‹ "the physical disk format is somewhat obsolete
in the era of content streaming," IDC wrote last year ‹ that
wasn't the case fourteen years ago, when virtually all
software was distributed via DVD-ROM. Fortunately, the
settlement site isn't asking for proof of purchase yet, but
it reserves the right to do so. Filing a claim can take
literally seconds, but don't hold your breath ‹ you'll
probably receive compensation, but there's no guarantee.

The wheels of justice turn slowly

Simply put, a group of 23 plaintiffs sued virtually every
DVD drive manufacturer, alleging that they collectively
conspired to keep drive prices higher than they normally
would be, in violation of antitrust laws. Though the
defendants denied they did anything wrong, several‹
Hitachi-LG, Panasonic, NEC, and Sony‹settled and agreed to
pay a collective total of $124.5 million into four separate
settlement funds.

(Note that only DVD drives for PCs are covered; a DVD
player, such as the one gathering dust in your living room,
isn't.)

If you do submit a claim, however, the chances of receiving
your settlement soon are slim. That's because seventeen
more defendants, including various subsidiaries of BenQ,
Philips, Samsung, TEAC, and Pioneer, have yet to settle,
and the suit will continue until all of the claims are
resolved.

"Because other defendants remain in this litigation, the
plaintiffs are proposing that distribution of the
settlement funds not occur at this time," the settlement
site reads. "This is to save the expenses associated with
distribution."

In fact, the settlement hearing to finally approve the
Hitachi-LG-Panasonic-NEC-Sony agreement will be held on
December 8. After that, payments may begin‹which means
that you'll probably receive your $10 or less a year from
now. Yes, less: Payments will be "up to" $10 per drive,
according to the claims site.

You should probably treat the settlement like one of those
"print out your own rebate" slips from the turn of the
century. Even under the best of circumstances, chances are
you'll have totally forgotten about your $10 windfall by
the time the check arrives.

<http://www.techconnect.com/article/3166548/storage-optical/if-you-own-a- pc-with-a-dvd-drive-youre-probably-owed-10.html>

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)