The Sony BMG music group has settled a lawsuit with 39 U.S. states over its use of anti-piracy software on musical CDs that caused damage to users’ computers.
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reported that the recent settlement by Sony BMG Music Entertainment will lead to the music company paying $4.25 million to the states and the District of Columbia as a means to reimburse consumers whose computers were damaged by the software.
The settlement also comes on the heels of similar settlements by the company with California and Texas that also focused on compensating users of the potentially harmful CDs.
With 13 states gaining $316,538 and the remainder $5,000 as part of the settlement, consumers with legitimate complaints will be able to garner refunds up to $175 once a claim is filed.
The paper said that the recent settlement, like those before it, will call for Sony BMG to cease producing CDs with the software installed on them to avoid future problems.
