Mac owners between 2003 & 2008 can claim $10 in optical drive class-action lawsuit settlem...

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
Posted:
in Current Mac Hardware
A class-action suit filed against four optical drive manufacturers alleging illegal price fixing has been settled, with previous owners of computers equipped with CD or DVD drives between 2003 and 2008 eligible for $10 per computer owned during that period.




The suit alleged that an illicit collaboration between Panasonic, NEC, Sony, and Hitachi-LG conspired to keep optical drive prices artificially high between April 1, 2003 and Dec. 31, 2008. The settlement was finalized in the end of Dec. 2016.

Individuals and businesses who, as residents of qualifying areas, purchased a stand-alone drive, or a computer equipped with an optical drive, are entitled to up to $10 per computer purchased during the period. The amount of any individual settlement payment will be based on the number of the class member's qualifying purchases and the total number of class members, but will not exceed $10 per computer or drive.

Class member include any residents of the following states or districts who purchased an optical drive between April 1, 2003 and Dec. 31, 2008:
  • Arizona
  • California
  • District of Columbia
  • Florida
  • Hawaii
  • Kansas
  • Maine
  • Massachusetts
  • Michigan
  • Minnesota
  • Missouri
  • Montana
  • Nebraska
  • Nevada
  • New Hampshire
  • New Mexico
  • New York
  • North Carolina
  • Oregon
  • Tennessee
  • Utah
  • Vermont
  • West Virginia
  • Wisconsin
The four companies have paid $124.5 million into a recovery fund. Attorneys will receive 25% of the fund, with the rest to be paid out to drive purchasers.

The form for the settlement claim can be filed online, or by mail.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 17
    eriamjheriamjh Posts: 1,642member
    I've bought at least 5 computers in that time.  
    r00fus1
  • Reply 2 of 17
    Sebastian DuarteSebastian Duarte Posts: 2member
    Why the hell isn't Georgia on there?
  • Reply 3 of 17
    JessiReturnsJessiReturns Posts: 68member
    Such BS.


    Oh, I should get $50?  But the lawyers get $12.50?  Yeah, scam.
    kspt02
  • Reply 4 of 17
    dysamoriadysamoria Posts: 3,430member
    10 bucks, huh? Wow.
  • Reply 5 of 17
    StrangeDaysStrangeDays Posts: 12,871member
    How can anyone complain about this? The drive manufacturers illegally set the price higher than it should have been, and $10 per unit is not nothing when they're collecting it from millions of computers sold to all the computer brands, it adds up. They got busted. Now they have to pay it back. Good. Why on earth wouldn't I want them to have to pay it back?
  • Reply 6 of 17
    adrayvenadrayven Posts: 460member
    StrangeDays said:
    How can anyone complain about this? The drive manufacturers illegally set the price higher than it should have been, and $10 per unit is not nothing when they're collecting it from millions of computers sold to all the computer brands, it adds up. They got busted. Now they have to pay it back. Good. Why on earth wouldn't I want them to have to pay it back?
    It's not that they are paying it back.. ti's that they are paying it back at 2003 rate.. thats like getting a huge discount for doing something they shouldn't.. Almost 15 years later, at 10% interest.. assuming no penalty.. which .. since it's a 'conspiracy', their should be penalty costs .. but not seeing that here.
    coolfactorr00fus1[Deleted User]
  • Reply 7 of 17
    MplsPMplsP Posts: 3,921member
    To claim your refund just submit your original receipt, copies not accepted. Any unclaimed settlement money to become property of Dewey, Cheetham and Howe...
    randominternetperson[Deleted User]
  • Reply 8 of 17
    Mike WuertheleMike Wuerthele Posts: 6,861administrator
    adrayven said:
    StrangeDays said:
    How can anyone complain about this? The drive manufacturers illegally set the price higher than it should have been, and $10 per unit is not nothing when they're collecting it from millions of computers sold to all the computer brands, it adds up. They got busted. Now they have to pay it back. Good. Why on earth wouldn't I want them to have to pay it back?
    It's not that they are paying it back.. ti's that they are paying it back at 2003 rate.. thats like getting a huge discount for doing something they shouldn't.. Almost 15 years later, at 10% interest.. assuming no penalty.. which .. since it's a 'conspiracy', their should be penalty costs .. but not seeing that here.
    There is a way to waive the award, and file an objection on the same page.

    Good luck!
  • Reply 9 of 17
    coolfactorcoolfactor Posts: 2,241member
    StrangeDays said:
    How can anyone complain about this? The drive manufacturers illegally set the price higher than it should have been, and $10 per unit is not nothing when they're collecting it from millions of computers sold to all the computer brands, it adds up. They got busted. Now they have to pay it back. Good. Why on earth wouldn't I want them to have to pay it back?

    How does that justify $30 MILLION dollars being paid to the attorneys? And consumers get $10?
    tallest skil
  • Reply 10 of 17
    harmonix23harmonix23 Posts: 29member
    Did their scam not affect people in other places? What about people not in those states?
  • Reply 11 of 17
    r00fus1r00fus1 Posts: 65member
    eriamjh said:
    I've bought at least 5 computers in that time.  
    There's a "Number Purchased" field in the settlement online form: https://www.opticaldiskdriveantitrust.com
  • Reply 12 of 17
    r00fus1r00fus1 Posts: 65member
    MplsP said:
    To claim your refund just submit your original receipt, copies not accepted. Any unclaimed settlement money to become property of Dewey, Cheetham and Howe...
    This is untrue, btw. No mention of receipt in the settlement form. If you're spouting snark, put a /snark tag in your comment.
  • Reply 13 of 17
    r00fus1r00fus1 Posts: 65member
    What amazed me is that I only bought 2 computers during that time, both Apples (iMac '05 and MacBook ALU in '08)
  • Reply 14 of 17
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member
    AppleInsider said:
    Class member include any residents of the following states
    OF… course.
  • Reply 15 of 17
    randominternetpersonrandominternetperson Posts: 3,089member
    That's a weird list of states.  What's the pattern?  And residents from the other 26 states get nothing?
  • Reply 16 of 17
    freerangefreerange Posts: 1,597member
    JessiReturns said:
    Such BS.


    Oh, I should get $50?  But the lawyers get $12.50?  Yeah, scam.
    Consumers get $10, the lawyers get $31,000,000 - ridiculous!
  • Reply 17 of 17
    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 0
    How can anyone complain about this? The drive manufacturers illegally set the price higher than it should have been, and $10 per unit is not nothing when they're collecting it from millions of computers sold to all the computer brands, it adds up. They got busted. Now they have to pay it back. Good. Why on earth wouldn't I want them to have to pay it back?

    How does that justify $30 MILLION dollars being paid to the attorneys? And consumers get $10?
    Consumers (collectively) get $90m, the Attorneys (collectively) get $30m. Each consumer receipt gets $10 (likely they tallied 9million mac sales in that time frame in those states). I'm guessing the $30m goes to the law firm(s) and each attorney that actually worked that case would get a much lower sum personally.

    A disgruntled attorney might look at it and say, $90m dollars to the consumers and I (attorney) only get $50,000?!  :p
    edited February 2017
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