[Update] Optical Disk Driver Class Action Settlement – Get $10 Per Drive (Most People Will Be Eligible)

Update 10/25/22: Another payout is coming. Subject line is ‘Optical Disk Drive Settlement: Your 2nd and Final Digital Payment is Ready’

Update 5/12/22: An email went out now with payment details. Payments will be sent out in June. Hat tip to reader MisterBill

Originally posted 2/15/17:

What’s The Settlement For?

Direct link to settlement

  • The plaintiffs allege a conspiracy involving ODD suppliers to fix, maintain, or stabilize the prices of ODDs at artificially high levels in violation of federal and state antitrust laws.
  • An ODD is an Optical Disk Drive. You may know an Optical Disk Drive as:
    • DVD-RW
    • DVD-ROM
    • COMBO drive

Who’s Eligible?

  • Must have lived in one of the following states: Arizona, California, District of Columbia, Florida, Hawaii, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, or Wisconsin during the period of April 1, 2003 and December 31, 2008.
  • Have purchased a new computer with an internal ODD or a stand alone ODD designed for internal use within a computer, or an ODD designed to be attached externally to a computer for your own use between April 1st, 2003 and December 31st, 2008.
  • No receipt is necessary

How Much Should You Expect?

  • The settlement pool is $124,500,000
  • Estimates put this at $10 per drive, but this will vary based on how many people make a claim

Other Info

You have until July 1st, 2017 to make a claim or exclude yourself from this class action.

Our Verdict

I imagine most readers will have purchased a device with a optical disk drive within this time period, so you might as well file a claim unless you plan on suing individually. You can view more class action settlements we’ve covered here & our introduction to these settlements here.

I know a lot of people complain about the amount of money that goes to lawyers in these cases, but I do think class action lawsuits are an important way to prevent large scale companies from abusing consumer laws and this is why I always post relevant class actions on this website.

Hat tip to DDG
    William Charles
  • On October 25, 2022, 18:05

View Comments (71)

  • I just received the second payment, and I don't even remember I have this settlement.LMAO.
    And I goes all the way back to my email, here's my amounts:
    1st payment: 30.46
    2nd payment:11.9

    Total:42.36

    Not to bad

  • Part of that is because the email I received regarding the first payout got lost among my other messages and I didn't see it in time, so my share went back into the pool for redistribution. (They allowed only two weeks to claim it--why so short a time?) You're welcome.

  • @will I got an email today with another payout of ~$8. Subject: "Optical Disk Drive Settlement: Your 2nd and Final Digital Payment is Ready" Email looked like spam but the Amazon GC code worked so :-)

    You are receiving this second payment because the Court has ordered the remaining settlement funds be distributed to those who responded to their initial payment notifications through a combination of 1) a flat $5 payout, combined with 2) a pro-rata payout of approximately $0.86 per hard drive

  • Just received an additional $9.31 on an amazon digital GC

    "You are receiving this second payment because the Court has ordered the remaining settlement funds be distributed to those who responded to their initial payment notifications through a combination of 1) a flat $5 payout, combined with 2) a pro-rata payout of approximately $0.86 per hard drive."

  • Received an email, but don't remember selecting to take the payout as a gift card. If I got that notification, is there any way to get this as a check?

  • I got $300.91 so no complaints from me! If people think there is any chance they filled out a settlement form its important to check soon. After July 12 all the unclaimed money will be redistributed to people that successfully accepted their payment.

    • If you don't mind me asking, how did you get $300? Must be a lot of drives you had to claim I assume

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