Judge OK's $1.1 Billion Microsoft deal

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Microsoft has agreed to pay $1.1 billion to settle a class-action suit that claimed the company was overcharging consumer for Windows. This ruling is seen as "the largest recovery of a monopoly overcharge ever achieved in the U.S".

The ruling by San Francisco Superior Court Judge Paul Alvarado allows the settlement to proceed to the next step, during which consumers and corporations in the state will be notified that they may qualify for vouchers ranging in value from $5 to $29. The vouchers can be used to buy most hardware or software products from any manufacturer.

Two-thirds of the unclaimed money will go to California public schools in a mix of donated Microsoft software and cash grants. Although the maximum value of the settlement is $1.1 billion, Microsoft could end up paying as little as $367 million in cash, which is what it would owe to California public schools if no vouchers are claimed. If all vouchers are claimed, Microsoft would be required to pay the maximum, but schools would then get nothing.

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