For California consumers/businesses only - earlier this year Microsoft settled a class action lawsuit that represented all California residents that were overcharged for Microsoft software products due to their alleged monopoly. ZDNet has a recent article about this. Apparently, the official Web site for the settlement will be updated with more information but at the moment, you can submit your name and address to where they will send the claims package once it becomes available (hopefully, in the month or so?). Finally, the best piece of information regarding the settlement is the FAQ for the settlement setup by the law firm that filed the suit. The following is a quick rundown of (what I think are) the most important points.
- Valid for California consumers/businesses only.
- Software has to have been purchased between February 18, 1995 and December 15, 2001. This includes software that came bundled with laptop and desktop systems.
- Applicable software products include all MS operating systems (from MS-DOS through Windows 2000), MS Office, MS Excel, MS Word and MS Works. There is no mention of Windows XP so I'm unsure as to whether it's included in the settlement.
- Up to 5 licenses will be granted without need for proof of purchase by submitting a sworn statement.
- A voucher will be issued to each class member with a value dependent on the number and type of licenses purchased. Each license is valued as follows: MS operating system - $16, MS Office - $29, MS Excel - $26, MS Word - $5, MS Works - $5.
The voucher redemption process seems a little involved so make sure to read it. Also, they're encouraging all California consumers to file a claim for the vouchers since
- Valid for California consumers/businesses only.
- Software has to have been purchased between February 18, 1995 and December 15, 2001. This includes software that came bundled with laptop and desktop systems.
- Applicable software products include all MS operating systems (from MS-DOS through Windows 2000), MS Office, MS Excel, MS Word and MS Works. There is no mention of Windows XP so I'm unsure as to whether it's included in the settlement.
- Up to 5 licenses will be granted without need for proof of purchase by submitting a sworn statement.
- A voucher will be issued to each class member with a value dependent on the number and type of licenses purchased. Each license is valued as follows: MS operating system - $16, MS Office - $29, MS Excel - $26, MS Word - $5, MS Works - $5.
The voucher redemption process seems a little involved so make sure to read it. Also, they're encouraging all California consumers to file a claim for the vouchers since
Again, check out the settlement FAQ for much more information.
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