Come On Folks! Fill Out an online Claim Form and Recieve Your Due From Record Label Lawsuit

Wired ^ | 1/28/03 | zarf

[zarf]

OLYMPIA, Washington -- Suppose someone was handing out $20 bills and almost nobody wanted one? That's roughly what's happening with a massive price-fixing settlement involving states and compact disc companies.

The deal calls for payments of as much as $20 for customers who bought CDs between 1995 and 2000. But so far, only a few people have signed up, and officials fear the money will go begging.

[PhiKapMom]

Already filed mine!

[StockAyatollah]

I'm in. These bastards have been price fixing CDs for years. Here's one lawsuit I can support.

[wizzler]

Anyone who believes in capitalism will resist the urge to apply for this "refund."

If, on the other hand, you think the government should be meddling in the voluntary transactions between companies, then by all means go for it and place your vote against capitalism.

[johniegrad]

Another attorney hits the litigation lotto with no ostensible benefit coming to anyone.

[dbehsman]

I filed my claim, and I'm giving the money to FreeRepublic. These companies are no freinds of ours!

[wizzler]

"These companies" are no friends of yours? What are you talking about?

And why does it matter if they're your "friends" or not anyway? Disliking them doesn't mean you should approve of their freedom being stripped away to redistribute millions of their dollars to other people.

When you start taking liberty away from people based on the notion that they're not "your friends," you enter very dangerous territory.

[zarf]

Mine is going to FR as well. I'm not a big fan of lawsuits, but the fix has been in since the get go.

The eternal promises of price reductions were bogus. This was collusion at it's worst.

[Dust in the Wind]

I guess they forgot to have it printed in "America's First Freedom" or the "Farm Journal". I'll have to see if theres a pay back for listening to "The Tulsa Shuffle".

[zarf]

Price fixing and collusion are not capitalism.

[Fixit]

What's that old saying... Ah, yes, here it is.

"There's nothing sorrier than a nickel whore."

$20 per soul, what a bargain.

I pity anyone who would debase themself by participating in this legally sanctioned looting, conducted by after-the-fact whiny consumers and their sue-happy litigators. By seeking damages in the form of a refund for price-fixed CD's, litigators and their clients are stealing back from record companies moneys that changed hands in voluntary, uncoerced transactions.

If buyers didn't like the prices they were being charged they should not have completed their purchases.

Further, since the list of class participants will likely be made public, their shame will not be a private one.

Participants of this "class action" should have been held back a grade.

I am, however, heartened that the group running this game is having trouble scaring up class(-less) members. Perhaps today's consumers understand that this is a crappy settlement for a non-problem and that participating in this sham would only leave them feeling unclean.

[Fixit]

You should change your screen name to "RobinHood".

[dbehsman]

I know. I FEEL SO ASHAMED! I don't know how I'm going to continue...

But, I guess sending the check to FreeRepublic will make me feel better.

By the way, aren't these record companies among the same jerks that pushed for the legislation to RETROACTIVELY push back the time limits for copyrights? They are not our friends!

[Dust in the Wind]

The way I read it the "looting" has already been done. All that remains is the application process and the final distribution. If only 30K have applied then there will be individual payouts. If you don't want people to have the payout then see to it that over 8.8 million sign up so the money will be distributed otherwise.

[wizzler]

Copyright lengths ARE a political issue. That's how the Constitution set it up: Congress is the one who decides. The Founders intuitively recognized that copyright time limits are a matter of empirical debate, subject to change, and thus left it in the hands of a political body.

So go ahead, be mad at Congress about that. But just because you're unhappy with Congress' decisions on that issue doesn't provide an excuse to take money from an interested party.

You were never forced to purchase any of the CDs that you have now decided you paid too much for. Nobody held a gun to your head. What you're doing by seeking this refund is taking advantage of a situation created by socialist-minded litigators. This may have been a "legal" settlement, but you have no moral claim to that money.

[KneelBeforeZod]

sowwy kids, but don't expect anything. It was on fark.com months ago...and keep in mind fark often has up to 35,000 redirects on EACH article that appears there.

not to mention every 13 year old in the nation has had it for months. You will get a penny at best.

but I'm sure someone else can find a link to get a refund on something you didn't buy. you can send that money to FR

[ken5050]

Flag all your ping lists..get others to do the same..and everyone who gets the $20 should donate it to FR.....

[wizzler]

Again, why would you support this extortion of money -- even if you plan to use it for a good cause like donating to the Free Republic?

Amazing to me that some of you people call yourselves "conservatives."

[PhiKapMom]

That works! Be glad to donate whatever I get back!

[PhiKapMom]

Excuse me but my kids have bought a ton of CD's and so have I for them. Don't tell me it is for soemthing I didn't buy!