Courtesy of Publishers Weekly:

More details have emerged concerning the deal to settle e-book price-fixing claims between 54 states and U.S. territories and HarperCollins, Hachette, and Simon & Schuster. Under terms of the settlement filed with the court this week, Hachette will pay $31,711,425; HarperCollins: $19,575,246; and Simon & Schuster: $17,752,480. And consumers who bought e-books from April 1, 2010 to May 21, 2012, meanwhile, will eventually be able to claim a check or a credit of up to $1.32 per e-book pending the deal’s approval by the court. And thanks to the digital trail that comes with e-books, the process should move quickly and easily—that is, once it makes it out of the courts.

According to Jaclyn M. Falkowski, executive assistant for press and communications for the Connecticut Office of the Attorney General, the distribution process will begin upon “preliminary approval” by the court, at which time notice of the settlement will go out to consumers directly from the retailers from whom they purchased their e-books—for example, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, etc. Notice will be made by e-mail, and also via advertising in newspapers and other media. In order to protect privacy, consumers will be identified by “unique numbers” rather than by name.

To receive a credit, customers do not need to take any action once notified. They may, however, choose to receive a check from the settlement fund for the amount due them, or to opt out of the settlement entirely. But if the consumer does not choose either of those options within 60 days after notification, a “calculated credit” will be applied directly to the consumer’s retailer accounts. The credit can be applied to future purchases of either print or e-books.

Read the rest of the article here: The Broad Strokes of the States’ E-book Settlement

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This