Microsoft shudders after class action bill arrives

MICROSOFT HAS had a nasty surprise in the mail from m'learned friends representing the winners of the anti-trust case that the behemoth paid more than $1.1 billion to settle [Surely Seattle? Ed].

It transpires that the briefs did not provide their services on a cheap rate and are now demanding that the softly spoken and reserved MS CEO Steve Ballmer open his cheque book and pay them $258 million.

Under the settlement struck last year, Microsoft agreed to pay vouchers to 13 million California businesses and consumers, with any unclaimed amount going to the state's school system.

Microsoft was also told that they would have to foot the legal bill for the victor's lawyers.

But Vole briefs were back in court this week to protest at some of the costs that m'learned friends on the other side a firm were trying to charge.

The trust actions chief brief Eugene Crew charged $3,019 per hour and other briefs were billing them for $2,000 an hour. There were also hourly fees of $1,000 for simple admin work. [Were they using Office? Ed.]

Crew said that dealing with Vole took a lot of time and effort for his firm and that his take of the fees, which would amount at about $100 million, was fair compensation for the risks involved.

Microsoft is complaining that the fees are unjustified. A VoleSoft rep told Reuters that since only five per cent of eligible consumers have filed claims under the scheme, it is possible that the plaintiff's attorney's fees could end up being higher than the actual money that Microsoft shells out to slighted consumers.

It generates a fair measure of cynicism about the whole process on whose behalf are these action being brought, and makes one wonder about who actually benefited from all this, the VoleSoft rep is alleged to have commented. µ