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Iowa Antitrust Case Costs Microsoft $255M

Posted by kdawson on from the cheap-at-half-the-price dept.

The judge in charge has approved the payout for the case, which was settled seven months ago. Iowa citizens will get up to $179 million in refunds and the attorneys will get $75 million, $8 million of which covers expenses. There's another $1 million in there for legal aid. Individual consumers pocket very little: they can file for $16 for each copy of Windows or MS-DOS purchased over a 12-year period, and $29 for Office. Such a payout would serve as a deterrent only if all 50 states had sued and won similar amounts. Alone it's a slap on the wrist.

2 of 96 comments (clear)

  1. and here's the math... by martin-boundary · · Score: 4, Funny
    Cost of 17.9 million x $10 dollar rebate vouchers on future Microsoft software purchases for Iowa citizens: $179 million

    Cost of 7.5 million x $10 dollar rebate vouchers for a team of attorneys: $75 million

    Look on the senior partner's face when 25 trailer trucks full of printed rebate vouchers enters the parking lot: priceless.

    There are some jokes money can't buy. For everything else, there's Slashdot.

  2. Thank god by evwah · · Score: 2, Funny

    Thank god I bought 14,572 copies of windows in the past 12 years.
    14,572x16=233,152

    4.)Profit!!