MS ANTITRUST: Microsoft settles some class actions

Microsoft Corp. has agreed to pay as much as US$18.33 million to settle class action lawsuits in North Dakota and South Dakota that alleged the vendor overcharged for its software.

Both settlements are similar to the ones Microsoft has agreed to in other states. Buyers of Microsoft’s Windows, Office or stand-alone Word or Excel products can apply for vouchers that may be used to buy desktop or notebook computers, software or select peripherals from any vendor.

For North Dakota, the maximum value of the vouchers issued will total US$9 million; for South Dakota the maximum is US$9.33 million, Microsoft said in a statement Wednesday.

As with to the other settlements, one-half of any unclaimed vouchers will be donated to schools, the Redmond, Washington, vendor said.

Microsoft in late October announced settlements with several U.S. states. That announcement included North and South Dakota, but the settlements had not yet been approved and no details were given at the time. The settlements received preliminary approval last Wednesday, Microsoft said.

The North Dakota and South Dakota settlements differ in the period they cover. North Dakotans who bought qualifying Microsoft software between May 18, 1994 and Dec. 31, 2002, are eligible for vouchers, while for South Dakotans the period is between March 10, 1996 and Dec. 31, 2002, Microsoft said.

Would you recommend this article?

Share

Thanks for taking the time to let us know what you think of this article!
We'd love to hear your opinion about this or any other story you read in our publication.


Jim Love, Chief Content Officer, IT World Canada

Featured Download

Featured Articles

Cybersecurity in 2024: Priorities and challenges for Canadian organizations 

By Derek Manky As predictions for 2024 point to the continued expansion...

Survey shows generative AI is a top priority for Canadian corporate leaders.

Leaders are devoting significant budget to generative AI for 2024 Canadian corporate...

Related Tech News

Tech Jobs

Our experienced team of journalists and bloggers bring you engaging in-depth interviews, videos and content targeted to IT professionals and line-of-business executives.

Tech Companies Hiring Right Now