Please spread this article far and wide....
If you bought ANY music CD
between 1995 & 2000, you are
part of a class action suit and will
get a check from $5 to $20.
Fill out the form at:
http://www.musiccdsettlement.com/english/default.htm
Here is the news story:
PAUL QUEARY
Associated Press
OLYMPIA, Wash. - Suppose someone was handing out $20 bills and almost nobody
wanted one? That's roughly what's happening with a massive price-fixing
settlement involving states and compact disc companies.
The deal calls for payments of as much as $20 for customers who bought CDs
between 1995 and 2000. But so far, only a few people have signed up, and
officials fear the money will go begging.
In September, the five top U.S. distributors of compact discs and three
large
music retailers agreed to pay $143 million in cash and CDs to settle
allegations they cheated consumers by fixing prices.
The lawsuit alleged that the companies - upset with low prices charged by
some stores - conspired with retailers to set music prices at a minimum
level, effectively raising the retail prices consumers paid for CDs.
Part of the settlement - about $44 million in cash - is earmarked to pay
customers from $5 to $20, depending on how many people wind up dividing the
money.
By the end of December, only about 30,000 people nationwide had applied for
a
piece of the pie, a tiny fraction of the number the settlement could handle.
"The response thus far has been fairly abysmal," said Washington Attorney
General Christine Gregoire, who's been on morning radio shows to promote the
settlement.
Gregoire was among the attorneys general of 41 states and commonwealths who
accused record companies of conspiring with music distributors to boost the
prices of CDs between 1995 and 2000.
The companies settled rather than wage a costly legal battle.
The settlement's Web site has been up for a month, and legal notices have
been published in TV Guide, Parade and other national magazines, but the
response rate has been very low, said Tina Kondo, a senior assistant
attorney
general in Gregoire's office.
"I guess people don't like to read legal notices," Kondo said.
Gregoire and other officials hope a radio advertising campaign set to launch
soon will boost interest in the settlement.
Anyone who bought a CD, cassette tape or vinyl record at a retail store
between 1995 and 2000 is eligible. The application window closes March 3.
You don't even need a receipt to prove you bought CDs by Hole, Metallica or
Shania Twain in 1998. Just click to the settlement's Web site, answer three
questions and fill in your name and address. But don't try to recoup the
entire cost of your music collection - only one claim per customer.
While 41 states took on the music companies, consumers in all 50 states are
eligible for the cash.
There is one catch. If more than about 8.8 million people apply, in which
case the per-person share would drop below $5, the customer part of the
settlement is to be canceled because sending out such small checks would be
too expensive.
Instead, the money will go to public entities and nonprofit organizations in
each state to promote music programs. The settlement already calls for those
organizations to receive 5.5 million CDs valued at $75.7 million.
The music distributors participating in the deal are Bertelsmann Music
Group,
EMI Music Distribution, Warner-Elektra-Atlantic Corp., Sony Music
Entertainment and Universal Music Group. Also included in the deal were
three
national retail chains: Trans World Entertainment, Tower Records and
Musicland Stores, a division of Best Buy Co. Inc.
ON THE NET:
Settlement details, http://www.musiccdsettlement.com
you are part of a class action suit....
blockdog
location: Land of Confusion
listening to: Jeff Black - Honey & Salt
registered: 2004.04.04
posts: 2185
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Please spread this article far and wide....
If you bought ANY music CD
between 1995 & 2000, you are
part of a class action suit and will
get a check from $5 to $20.
Fill out the form at:
http://www.musiccdsettlement.com/english/default.htm
Here is the news story:
PAUL QUEARY
Associated Press
OLYMPIA, Wash. - Suppose someone was handing out $20 bills and almost nobody
wanted one? That's roughly what's happening with a massive price-fixing
settlement involving states and compact disc companies.
The deal calls for payments of as much as $20 for customers who bought CDs
between 1995 and 2000. But so far, only a few people have signed up, and
officials fear the money will go begging.
In September, the five top U.S. distributors of compact discs and three
large
music retailers agreed to pay $143 million in cash and CDs to settle
allegations they cheated consumers by fixing prices.
The lawsuit alleged that the companies - upset with low prices charged by
some stores - conspired with retailers to set music prices at a minimum
level, effectively raising the retail prices consumers paid for CDs.
Part of the settlement - about $44 million in cash - is earmarked to pay
customers from $5 to $20, depending on how many people wind up dividing the
money.
By the end of December, only about 30,000 people nationwide had applied for
a
piece of the pie, a tiny fraction of the number the settlement could handle.
"The response thus far has been fairly abysmal," said Washington Attorney
General Christine Gregoire, who's been on morning radio shows to promote the
settlement.
Gregoire was among the attorneys general of 41 states and commonwealths who
accused record companies of conspiring with music distributors to boost the
prices of CDs between 1995 and 2000.
The companies settled rather than wage a costly legal battle.
The settlement's Web site has been up for a month, and legal notices have
been published in TV Guide, Parade and other national magazines, but the
response rate has been very low, said Tina Kondo, a senior assistant
attorney
general in Gregoire's office.
"I guess people don't like to read legal notices," Kondo said.
Gregoire and other officials hope a radio advertising campaign set to launch
soon will boost interest in the settlement.
Anyone who bought a CD, cassette tape or vinyl record at a retail store
between 1995 and 2000 is eligible. The application window closes March 3.
You don't even need a receipt to prove you bought CDs by Hole, Metallica or
Shania Twain in 1998. Just click to the settlement's Web site, answer three
questions and fill in your name and address. But don't try to recoup the
entire cost of your music collection - only one claim per customer.
While 41 states took on the music companies, consumers in all 50 states are
eligible for the cash.
There is one catch. If more than about 8.8 million people apply, in which
case the per-person share would drop below $5, the customer part of the
settlement is to be canceled because sending out such small checks would be
too expensive.
Instead, the money will go to public entities and nonprofit organizations in
each state to promote music programs. The settlement already calls for those
organizations to receive 5.5 million CDs valued at $75.7 million.
The music distributors participating in the deal are Bertelsmann Music
Group,
EMI Music Distribution, Warner-Elektra-Atlantic Corp., Sony Music
Entertainment and Universal Music Group. Also included in the deal were
three
national retail chains: Trans World Entertainment, Tower Records and
Musicland Stores, a division of Best Buy Co. Inc.
ON THE NET:
Settlement details, http://www.musiccdsettlement.com
If you bought ANY music CD
between 1995 & 2000, you are
part of a class action suit and will
get a check from $5 to $20.
Fill out the form at:
http://www.musiccdsettlement.com/english/default.htm
Here is the news story:
PAUL QUEARY
Associated Press
OLYMPIA, Wash. - Suppose someone was handing out $20 bills and almost nobody
wanted one? That's roughly what's happening with a massive price-fixing
settlement involving states and compact disc companies.
The deal calls for payments of as much as $20 for customers who bought CDs
between 1995 and 2000. But so far, only a few people have signed up, and
officials fear the money will go begging.
In September, the five top U.S. distributors of compact discs and three
large
music retailers agreed to pay $143 million in cash and CDs to settle
allegations they cheated consumers by fixing prices.
The lawsuit alleged that the companies - upset with low prices charged by
some stores - conspired with retailers to set music prices at a minimum
level, effectively raising the retail prices consumers paid for CDs.
Part of the settlement - about $44 million in cash - is earmarked to pay
customers from $5 to $20, depending on how many people wind up dividing the
money.
By the end of December, only about 30,000 people nationwide had applied for
a
piece of the pie, a tiny fraction of the number the settlement could handle.
"The response thus far has been fairly abysmal," said Washington Attorney
General Christine Gregoire, who's been on morning radio shows to promote the
settlement.
Gregoire was among the attorneys general of 41 states and commonwealths who
accused record companies of conspiring with music distributors to boost the
prices of CDs between 1995 and 2000.
The companies settled rather than wage a costly legal battle.
The settlement's Web site has been up for a month, and legal notices have
been published in TV Guide, Parade and other national magazines, but the
response rate has been very low, said Tina Kondo, a senior assistant
attorney
general in Gregoire's office.
"I guess people don't like to read legal notices," Kondo said.
Gregoire and other officials hope a radio advertising campaign set to launch
soon will boost interest in the settlement.
Anyone who bought a CD, cassette tape or vinyl record at a retail store
between 1995 and 2000 is eligible. The application window closes March 3.
You don't even need a receipt to prove you bought CDs by Hole, Metallica or
Shania Twain in 1998. Just click to the settlement's Web site, answer three
questions and fill in your name and address. But don't try to recoup the
entire cost of your music collection - only one claim per customer.
While 41 states took on the music companies, consumers in all 50 states are
eligible for the cash.
There is one catch. If more than about 8.8 million people apply, in which
case the per-person share would drop below $5, the customer part of the
settlement is to be canceled because sending out such small checks would be
too expensive.
Instead, the money will go to public entities and nonprofit organizations in
each state to promote music programs. The settlement already calls for those
organizations to receive 5.5 million CDs valued at $75.7 million.
The music distributors participating in the deal are Bertelsmann Music
Group,
EMI Music Distribution, Warner-Elektra-Atlantic Corp., Sony Music
Entertainment and Universal Music Group. Also included in the deal were
three
national retail chains: Trans World Entertainment, Tower Records and
Musicland Stores, a division of Best Buy Co. Inc.
ON THE NET:
Settlement details, http://www.musiccdsettlement.com
