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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.

6 of 96 comments (clear)

  1. Re:What's that sound? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    The sound of MS getting stung for millions is strangely similar to the sound of Gates slapping his wallet on the desk and asking "you got change? Smallest bill I got is a billion"

  2. A Slap on the Wrist? by doyoulikeworms · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Since when is a quarter of a billion dollars a slap on the wrist? Sure, it's not earth-shattering, but come on, man!

    1. Re:A Slap on the Wrist? by Swampash · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Since when is a quarter of a billion dollars a slap on the wrist?

      When it's imposed upon an entity that makes 13 billion dollars every three months and records that against offshore subsidiaries that pay no tax?

      Just a thought.

  3. Re:Alone it's a slap on the wrist. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    all cheap throwaway consumables.

  4. Re:some zeros needed here,,,, by apodyopsis · · Score: 2, Insightful

    ..and people buy it of their own free will

    sorry? come again?

    have you actually tried to buy a new PC without MS software on it? I have. It has been more or less impossible for many years, it is only comparatively recently that OEMs have begun to offer free alternatives. I am MS free at home. I do not buy MS of my own free will yet I find it crammed down my throat with every PC purchase. Of my own free will indeed.....hah!

  5. Re:Alone it's a slap on the wrist. by WhatAmIDoingHere · · Score: 2, Insightful

    If all 5m residents of his state got $251, that's a total of $1,255,000,000 which is enough to hurt ANY company. "But Micro$oft has liek $9b in cash!" so? That's still a LOT of money. That's almost as much as they lose on their X-Box devision every year (zing).

    And a payout like that would encourage other states to follow with their own lawsuits. "Remember that $251 check you got from Microsoft? I was the guy who went after the big bad company. Vote for me!"

    --
    Not a Twitter sockpuppet... but I wish I was.