Don't Mess With Iowa

[Mr. Pitts]

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Microsoft Corp. said early Wednesday it has
settled an anti-trust class action lawsuit brought against it in Iowa. Terms
of settlement of the seven-year-old case were not disclosed, though
Microsoft (MSFT) said in a release that Iowa consumers and businesses that
bought software including the company's Word, Excel and Office applications
between May 18, 1994 and June 30, 2006 will be compensated. The settlement
also includes an unspecified amount that will be paid to the Iowa Department
of Education. The Iowa suit, Comes et. al v. Microsoft Corp., was brought on
behalf of thousands of Iowa consumers claiming Microsoft engaged in
anticompetitive conduct, thus causing them to pay some $300 million more for
software than they would have otherwise.

 

[Guest]

Hello Mr. Pitts,

Pondering if all US residents will file litigation against the state of Iowa
and the Iowa corn farmers for intentionally not planting corn just for
increasing the price for corn? What is good for one must be good for
others... apparently, those corn farmers have been consuming to much
moon-shine.

 

[Tom Lake]

Hello Mr. Pitts,

Pondering if all US residents will file litigation against the state of
Iowa
and the Iowa corn farmers for intentionally not planting corn just for
increasing the price for corn? What is good for one must be good for
others... apparently, those corn farmers have been consuming to much
moon-shine.

Except that the US Government pays them not to grow corn. (at least it
used to)

Tom Lake

 

[Tom]

Except that the US Government pays them not to grow corn. (at least it
used to)

Tom Lake

He's a Carey Frisch wannabe, so hung up on MS, that he probably doesn't buy
food unless it has the WHQL seal of approval.

 

[Mario]

Jonathan Schwartz II woke up and scribbled:

Pondering if all US residents will file litigation against the state of
Iowa
and the Iowa corn farmers for intentionally not planting corn just for
increasing the price for corn? What is good for one must be good for
others... apparently, those corn farmers have been consuming to much
moon-shine.

Those corn farmers won their lawsuit, so if moonshine helped them, I'll
be getting some for myself. On your point, you can try to sue the Hawkeye
State over the price of corn, but I'd have to say you have two chances of
getting anything...slim and none. Besides, with the money they are getting
as a result of their lawsuit, they'll be able to retire from farming. Then
they'll probably tell you then to 'Go grow your own corn.' I'm not from
Iowa, but I do respect their efforts, and their success. Perhaps the other
49 will benefit from their leadership as well.

 

[Chad Harris]

LOL--

This means we will lose the entertaining testinomony of Bill Gates in that
case who had a pending subpoena to testify that the Judge upheld.

So lemme see--those who purchased MSFT software including Office apps in
Iowa have some bucks coming (I wonder how much per member of the Class), but
if you are in another state not Iowa, then you have notin' comin' no time
soon.

LOL--

CH

 

[Zim Babwe]

Actually what will happen is that they will get a coupon for a $10 to $30
discount on future Microsoft software. OH BOY

 

[Dan]

Hello Mr. Pitts,

Pondering if all US residents will file litigation against the state of
Iowa
and the Iowa corn farmers for intentionally not planting corn just for
increasing the price for corn? What is good for one must be good for
others... apparently, those corn farmers have been consuming to much
moon-shine.

Actually farmers do not set the prices for their products in the U.S., our
lovely market forecasters do. Many a farmer has gone broke because it costs
more to raise the crop than the markets were willing to pay.

Dan
Not a farmer but living in rural Iowa.

 

[Gary]

Actually we applied for a refund under the law suite and got a voucher for $
16,486.00 from Microsoft for ANY software or hardware purchase not just
Microsoft products.
We are in California.