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California Consumers Settle MS Antitrust Suit

Posted by timothy on from the but-the-customers-shrug-and-move-on dept.

lseltzer writes "According to AP, $1.1B in Microsoft products will go to California consumers to settle antitrust claims against the company. I bet the lawyers don't get paid in software." Actually, the article says that those who apply for some of the settlement will receive "vouchers redeemable for any manufacturer's computer-related products and software."

18 of 274 comments (clear)

  1. cool by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    Any other Cali residents should take this as a great opportunity and use their vouchers like I am...to buy a lot of free softwa...err damn...maybe i can buy a game with it

  2. Wow by houseofmore · · Score: 5, Funny

    $1.1B in Microsoft products

    What's that... a few hundred boxes of MS Office?

    1. Re:Wow by ender81b · · Score: 4, Funny

      Fun with math!

      MS Office XP Professional - $536

      1,100,000,000/536 = 205,228 copies of MS Office XP Professional. With 34,501,130 people in the state that comes to one copy for every .005 people, unless I screwed up my math which is entirely possible.

      Of course this little exercise in math shows you just how profitable the Office XP business is for microsoft. They sell a quarter million copies of software and make a billion dollars. You don't really think that it cost MS anywhere close to 1 billion dollars to support/code Office XP do you? Now take the fact that MS sells around 1 million copies a year (granted some are cheaper due to OEM, Enterprise Agreements, Education Discounts, etc) and you see why MS is so paranoid about losing its lead in the office line.

  3. Consumers rejoice! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    "And in other news, the ACME toxic waste company has agreed to settle its lawsuits by giving out $1.1Billion in ACME brand toxic sludge, or vouchers good for any other brand of toxic waste.

    1. Re:Consumers rejoice! by Jeremiah+Cornelius · · Score: 4, Funny

      And in other news: convicted serial rapist, Joe Bloggs has been required by the courts to show restitution by showering his sweet, affectionate attentions on former victims.

      --
      "Flyin' in just a sweet place,
      Never been known to fail..."
  4. first the RIAA, now Microsoft :-) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    great, earlier today I got to fraudulently make the RIAA give me money, now I get to do the same to microsoft. It's really shaping up to be a wonderful day.

  5. Intangible goods by nukey56 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Someone please explain this to me: why is it that the states can accept this settlement, which costs Microsoft NOTHING (aside from lost sales, yadda yadda), and actually bolsters their position by spreading their law-breaking product around, but they won't allow tobacco companies to do the same and distribute a quarter billion packs around the table? I mean, which is a bigger cancer stick, seriously?

  6. Re:Software cost by farnsworth · · Score: 5, Funny
    it doesn't seem to be just MS software:

    proceeds of the settlement will be distributed to members of the class in the form of vouchers redeemable for any manufacturer's computer-related products and software.

    maybe the state of California can now afford that Oracle contract it signed... *ducks*

    --

    There aint no pancake so thin it doesn't have two sides.

  7. Re:Free software, where? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Free software, where?

    Here: www.gnu.org

  8. Hmm...... by starphish · · Score: 5, Funny

    California: "Microsoft, we are going to sue you because you use unfair business practices by giving away your product to destroy your competition!"

    Microsoft: "As a punishment, you should make us give away our products. That will teach us!"

    California: "Sounds good to me!"

    DOH!!!

    --
    Yeah, yeah, yeah. The story is a dupe, the topic is boring, the facts weren't checked. WE GET IT!!
  9. Vouchers for Some-Little American Flags for Others by Sean+Clifford · · Score: 3, Funny
    To paraphrase Mayor Quimby:

    "Vouchers for some, little American flags for others."

    Man, with one of these vouchers and my RIAA settlement check, ya think I can buy one of those cool transdermal food patches from ThinkGeek?

  10. Re:Take a Look Here. by Gonzoman · · Score: 3, Funny

    Does it make a difference? I'm sitting here running Debian and listing to Rambling Jack Elliot does Woody Guthrie. What can Microsoft do to intrude on my mood?

  11. Re: Software cost by Jeremiah+Cornelius · · Score: 2, Funny
    Right on!

    I burned my mod points earlier today... Someone else push this guy up a notch.

    --
    "Flyin' in just a sweet place,
    Never been known to fail..."
  12. If you think this is bad... by tlambert · · Score: 5, Funny

    If you think this is bad... ...Their first offer was to port the "dancing paperclip" to FreeBSD, Linux, and Solaris.

    -- Terry

  13. Hmmm, let's see by m00nun1t · · Score: 5, Funny
    I'm entitled to my voucher for $25 which I can use to get any software. How many copies of linux can I buy... let's see...

    $25/$0 =


    Divide by zero error. Post terminated.

    --
    Read reviews of shopping cart software
  14. Re:I'm not an accountant by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    > Where is justice?

    Follow the money...

  15. Good payment for the lawyers by mev · · Score: 2, Funny
    I bet the lawyers don't get paid in software.

    Hopefully the lawyers will get paid with copies of Microsoft Bob.

  16. Wait just a minute... by Whatsthiswhatsthis · · Score: 2, Funny

    So you're telling me that the punishment for acting like a monopoly is for Microsoft to freely distribute its software, thus proliforating its monopoly even further?

    I think Microsoft won this round.