The CD Settlement Money has Arrived

Last year, I wrote about the CD pricing litigation settlement. I did apply for the fruits of the settlement when I blogged about it and I received the check earlier this week along with this letter:

February 2004

Dear Texas Music Purchaser:

As Attorney General for the State of Texas, I am pleased to enclose payment for your claim in the settlement of the compact disc minimum advertised price antitrust litigation. This lawsuit was brought by the attorneys general of 43 states and three territories and by council for Private class Plaintiffs on behalf of purchasers of music CDs. In accordance with the terms of the court-approved settlement, payment is being made to music purchasers who filed a valid and timely claim.

Whether you filed your claim online at the settlement website, www.MusicCDSettlement.com, or by mail, the attached payment represents full payment of your portion of the Settlement. Please note that the attached payment instrument must be cashed by May 20, 2004.

It is a pleasure to bring this matter to a satisfactory conclusion and to return value to consumers who purchased CDs while the challenged pricing policies were in effect.

Greg Abbot
Attorney General of Texas

My efforts netted me $13.86 and I deposited the money in the bank today. Note that the money is distributed regardless of how many CDs you bought from 1995 through 2000. I hadn't thought about this, but the money is also going to entities other than individuals: schools and libraries are also getting in on the action.

My views regarding things like antitrust have changed since early January 2003. Charges of price-fixing don't resonate as much with as they used to because even in the event that record company CEOs conspired to keep compact disc, cassette, and vinyl prices higher than an otherwise untampered market would set, I still made my purchasing choices freely and without coercion. I might have complained about the cost of some albums (I remember a distinct anger/amazement my friends and I held towards Soundgarden and their label when the Superunknown tape cost almost $19 at Fort Knox's AAFES PX), but I still weighed my opportunity costs against getting what I considered a near-perfect album.

That freedom - and the freedom of the distributors and retailers to name their own prices - matters more to me that getting a check in the mail anyday.

Posted by Drizzten at March 10, 2004 02:33 PM