The CD MAP Settlement is soliciting claims online right now. The payout will be $5-20 if you bought any CDs from retailers between 1995-2000. There’s a little catch:
If the number of claims filed would result in refunds of less than $5.00 per claimant, there will be no cash distribution to individual consumers. Rather, the cash portion of the Settlement shall be distributed to not-for-profit, charitable, governmental or public entities to be used for music-related purposes or programs for the benefit of consumers who purchased Music Products.
Coming out of a cash payment totalling $67,375,000, that means if more than 13,475,000 people sign up… Interestingly, the settlement also includes $75,700,000 worth of prerecorded music compact discs. Why do I get the feeling that means tens of millions of bad boy band records that have been taking up warehouse space?