CD refunds could be music to their ears

By last week, 108,000 Floridians were among 2.3-million people who had filed for refunds that could range from $5 to $20 from the compact disc settlement fund.

If you bought a music CD between 1995 and 2000, you have until March 3 to put your claim in for a piece of a $143-million settlement with the record industry.

The lawyers who went after the music industry alleging price fixing have launched a public awareness campaign to make sure people know about the settlement. But if too many people ask for refunds, and the total slips beneath $5 a head when it's all divvied up, the cash goes to music-related charities.

If all goes without a hitch, consumers could find a check in their mailbox by August, said Liz Leeds, a Florida senior assistant attorney general. The antitrust complaint was spearheaded in 2000 by the attorneys general of Florida and New York.

The settlement called for distributors to pay $67.3-million and provide 5.5-million in free CDs, valued at $75.7-million, to nonprofit organizations, charitable groups and government entities, such as schools and libraries.

To file a claim, visit www.musiccdsettlement.com. You may also request a hard-copy claim form by calling toll-free 1-877-347-4782.

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