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Details of Microsoft's Settlement With Iowa

Posted by samzenpus on from the pay-up dept.

dringess writes "As reported on Yahoo, Microsoft has settled the suit brought by the State of Iowa. Individuals can collect $16 for each copy of MS-DOS or Windows purchased from 1994-2006, while Office nets $29. No proof of purchase required! Now I can finally get some money from Microsoft!" Here is our original coverage of the settlement.

7 of 96 comments (clear)

  1. Great, I'll be able to... by Brad1138 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Afford a PS3... Oh, you said "Purchased", nevermind.

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    If you could reason with religious people, there would be no religious people
  2. Cool! My turn! by mcrbids · · Score: 4, Funny

    I can prove that I bought a copy of Windows 98! My registration key is

    FCKGW....

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    I have no problem with your religion until you decide it's reason to deprive others of the truth.
    1. Re:Cool! My turn! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

      I used to work for Gateway, Win XP CD's with product keys beginning with FCKGW were our reward for going through the XP training back in the day (Pre-launch). We were wondering if Microsoft was trying to tell us something with those 5 letters...

  3. Settle != guilty by psaunders · · Score: 3, Insightful
    Now remember kids, the mere action of settling does not technically constitute any kind of admission on Microsoft's part. More accurately, the state of Iowa caught Microsoft and their lawyers on a day when they were feeling generous.

    In all seriousness though, how does something like this happen? Will other states follow suit (pun partially intended) for similar benefits?

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    Karma police, arrest this man. He talks in math. He buzzes like a fridge. He's like a detuned radio.
    1. Re:Settle != guilty by Vulva+R.+Thompson,+P · · Score: 4, Informative

      Well, the Federal Government says that they absolutely, positively are a monopolist. And they were convicted so it's a forgone conclusion whether they admit to it or not.

      California settled a year or two (or three) ago. I got a nice shiny check for $78 dollars just for filling out a single form and mailing it in. Didn't require many details beyond the number of copies purchased.

      So if there are any Iowans out there, warm up your pens. It's worth doing, not to mention very satisfying.

  4. you misunderstand this case by RelliK · · Score: 3, Informative
    Now remember kids, the mere action of settling does not technically constitute any kind of admission on Microsoft's part.

    Iowa relied on the federal antitrust ruling of 2000 which already found Microsoft to be an abusive monopolist. The Iowa's case was only about how much Microsoft has to pay as a compensation for breaking antitrust laws.

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    If you think big enough, you'll never have to do it.
  5. MS PR ploy by krbvroc1 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    "Under the settlement, Microsoft will provide half of any unclaimed proceeds to the Iowa Department of Education to bridge the digital and technical divide in Iowa schools through the purchase of computer hardware and software."

    Great...So the next generation can suffer too... This settlement is nothing more than an MS backdoor into the school system. Why use OSX or Linux when we have a pile of MS stuff here in this box...
    100,000 copies of XP which will do longer be supported Dec 2008 anyone?