By Agence France-Presse Software maker Microsoft Corp. said Oct. 28 it had agreed to settle consumer class-action lawsuits that had been pending in five states and Washington, D.C. The Redmond, Wash.-based company has proposed to settle the cases for some $200 million in computer and software vouchers. Microsoft now has reached settlements in nine states and the District of Columbia. However, it is still facing class-action suits in five other states, Microsoft lawyer Brad Smith explained in a press conference. Proposed settlements in Kansas and the District of Columbia have been given preliminary approval by the judges overseeing those cases. The Kansas and Washington, D.C., agreements pave the way for Microsoft to offer compensation in the form of vouchers for computer equipment and software. Kansas had been offered vouchers totaling $32 million while Washington, D.C., had been offered $6.2 million. Microsoft is still awaiting legal approvals for its agreements with the states of North Carolina, Tennessee, and North Dakota and South Dakota. Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2003
