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If you bought a PC with a disk drive between 2003 and 2008 — the golden age of Livestrong bracelets and trucker hats — you might be eligible for $US10 ($13) thanks to an antitrust class action suit. In December, Sony, NEC, Panasonic and Hitachi-LG settled a seven-year suit which alleged the companies colluded “to inflate the prices of optical drives sold to big computer companies and retailers.”
Settled for $US124.5 ($163) million, the lawsuit claimed that when HP and Dell placed orders for optical drives from Sony, NEC, Panasonic and Hitachi-LG, the four companies schemed to keep prices high.
Here’s what this means for you: If you bought a PC with an DVD drive (or just an external optical drive) between April 1, 2003 and December 31, 2008, you’re eligible to receive $US10 ($13) for each drive purchased, if you live in the following states:
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
All you need to submit your claim is your name, email address, and the number of computers you purchased. While it seems like you don’t even need proof of purchase, the terms and conditions states, “The Settlement Administrator has the right to request verification or more information regarding the claimed purchase(s) of Optical Disk Drive products for purposes of preventing fraud.”
So what’re you waiting for? $US10 ($13) from the tech overlords who conspired against you is waiting.
[CNET]