[balrog666]

Alternative headline: More Lawyers Strike it Rich, Consumers Left Out in the Cold (AGAIN)

[kezekiel]

$143 million settlement

Chump change. Five years of price fixing, and they figure that's worth $143 million?

[dead]

I have over 1600 CDs and I'll never see a dime.

Some lawyer with 2 Wayne Newtons and a Barbara Streisand CD will get a few million though.

We live in a weird country.

[KarlInOhio]

In addition, 5.5 million CDs, valued at $75.7 million, with a manufacturing cost of $0.5 million and getting dusty in a warehouse becuase no one would buy them at any price ...

[Illbay]

Attorneys general in 41 states and three U.S. commonwealths yesterday (Sept. 30) announced a $143 million settlement of price-fixing charges against the five major U.S. distributors and retailers Trans World Entertainment, Tower Records, and Musicland Stores, Billboard Bulletin reports.

"In other news, the Recording Industry Association of America announced today that its estimates project that the cost of CDs and other recorded music are due to rise this holiday season. Although considered bleak news for consumers, the Association estimates it should increase industry revenues for the last quarter of 2002 by about $150 Billion."

[lelio]

Under the settlement, $67.38 million in cash will be distributed to the settling states. This will be used to compensate consumers who overpaid for CDs during the 1995-2000 period, as well as to pay settlement administration costs and attorneys' fees.
How are you going to reimburse consumers? Send everyone a check that bought a CD? How do you know that they bought one? How many did they buy? This has pork written all over it. I'm sure it will go to fund each state's "CD selling watchdog group" which mysteriously is run by the governor's brother in law.

[cinFLA]

In addition, 5.5 million CDs, valued at $75.7 million, will be distributed to public entities and nonprofit organizations in each state to benefit consumers and promote music programs. According to the agreement, the companies will pay artist royalties on the CDs.

And they used inflated prices to come to this amount. An outrage!

[Jonathon Spectre]

I feel so bad for the poor, price-fixing recording industry seeing its price-fixed profits being siphoned away by the Internet.

Should have bought Napster, dumbasses. Should have bought Napster. Now there's no return, and no money for you.

[MadisonA]

I don't even buy cd's anymore unless it's really something good. CD's prices are outrageous. I would rather spend my money on DVD's.

Anything songs I want I download for free off the net.

[RLK]

companies from 1995-2000 had conspired to inflate the price of CDs, costing consumers millions of dollars.

----------------------------

Nobody forced consumers to buy them. People think unnecessary items should be put on shelves at prices they arbitrarily wan to pay. Nobody owes me or anybody else CDs.