Cha-ching!!! I don't remember who posted the info on how to file a claim against these bastards, but thank you!! I did, and look forward to spending my $13 on blank cd-rs.

Judge: Millions of CD buyers owed money

Monday, June 16, 2003 Posted: 9:20 PM EDT (0120 GMT)

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) -- A judge has approved a settlement agreement in a music antitrust lawsuit that will result in more than 3.5 million consumers receiving nearly $13 each.

Judge D. Brock Hornby issued a 51-page ruling Friday in the case that began in 1996 when attorneys general across the country began investigating whether distributors and retailers had conspired to inflate CD prices.

"This settlement will put cash in the hands of millions of consumers and music CDs in libraries and schools throughout the country, and will ensure that the challenged distributor/retailer practices will not resume," Hornby wrote.

Details still to be decided

The ruling, however, does not stipulate exactly how much consumers will receive or when the checks will be distributed. More than 3.5 million consumers filed claims, now estimated at $12.63 each.

Hornby asked lawyers to present him with a report by the end of the month on how much it will cost to distribute the checks and how much each check will be.