$69 Million Attorneys General Settlement Provides Money Back for Certain E-book Purchases

NEW YORK, Oct. 17, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following is being issued by Kinsella Media, LLC, notice provider for the State Attorneys General E-book Settlements.

The process of notifying consumers about Settlements reached with publishers Hachette, HarperCollins, and Simon & Schuster in an antitrust lawsuit filed by State Attorneys General about the prices of electronic books ("E-books") is underway.  The lawsuit claims there was a conspiracy involving these three top publishers and others to fix and raise retail prices of E-books. A separate lawsuit with similar claims continues against Penguin Books, MacMillan and Apple Inc.

Millions of consumers have begun receiving emails or postcards with information about their legal rights and options.  Emails are being sent by some E-book retailers who are participating in the notification process as a courtesy to their customers.  Consumers who purchased E-books through Apple or Sony will have received emails showing the sender as: "State Attorneys General E-book Settlement," [email protected].  These are legitimate emails authorized by the Attorneys General.

If the Court approves the Settlements, the Settling Publishers will contribute $69.04 million into a Settlement Fund that will be distributed to eligible consumers.  The Settlements also include agreements by the Settling Publishers to comply with antitrust laws, and certain orders of the Court and the U.S. Department of Justice.

People who bought E-books are included in the Settlements if: (1) they purchased an E-book that was published by Hachette, HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, Penguin, or Macmillan (as well as certain other names – "imprints" – under which these publishers also publish E-books); (2) the purchase was made from April 1, 2010 through May 21, 2012; and (3) they were a resident of a) a state other than Minnesota, b) the District of Columbia, or c) one of five U.S. Territories and Commonwealths (Puerto Rico, Guam, U.S. Virgin Islands, Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa) at the time of purchase.

A full list of the publishers and imprints included is available at www.EBookAGSettlements.com. 

If the Court approves the Settlements and the Attorneys General's distribution plan, people who bought one or more qualifying E-books and who follow the instructions in their notices will receive a credit into their E-book retailer account or a check.  Distribution of checks and/or credits varies among E-book retailers.  There will be two levels of payments, based on categories of books.  The exact amount to be paid per E-book in both categories is not yet finalized.

The email and postcard notices currently being distributed contain instructions about whether consumers need to do anything to activate their credit or file a Claim Form to receive a check.  Anyone who thinks they may be included but has not received notice should visit www.EBookAGSettlements.com or call 1-866-621-4153 to learn more about the Settlements and decide whether to file a Claim Form.  Claim Forms must be filed online or postmarked by December 12, 2012.

Those included in the Settlements have a number of legal rights and options.  They should visit www.EBookAGSettlements.com or call 1-866-621-4153 to get a Detailed Notice and learn more.

SOURCE Kinsella Media, LLC