Settlement Recovery Center Sees Indifference as Class Action Claims' Clock Ticks Down -- Californians to Microsoft: ''Keep Your Money!''.

SAN FRANCISCO -- Millions of laid-back California consumers and companies are apparently content to let a $1 billion opportunity pass them by.

With only two weeks remaining until the January 8 deadline, fewer than one million claims have been filed, out of some fourteen million eligible, for a share of the $1.1 billion fund arising out of the Microsoft class action settlement in California.

What's to explain the paltry rate of participation -- around 7 percent -- in one of the largest recoveries ever achieved under California antitrust laws? Why are the vast majority of eligible Californians ignoring a potential windfall that is supposed to be distributed to businesses and consumers who bought Microsoft software from 1995 through 2001?

Microsoft contends that it's because the software giant is so popular with consumers. According to the settlement, two-thirds of the unclaimed proceeds will go to public schools around the state in the form of Microsoft software and vouchers. Microsoft will get to keep the remainder, which could amount to a reduced California payout of hundreds of millions of dollars.

Howard Yellen, founder and CEO of Settlement Recovery Center, thinks there's a more likely explanation for the lackluster consumer response. "The Microsoft settlement is great, but it's not well understood. For one thing, companies don't realize what's at stake," he says. Based in San Francisco, Settlement Recovery Center is helping businesses file claims in the Microsoft settlement.

Individuals can claim up to five eligible software purchases without providing any proof of purchase. Companies, which are projected to receive around 80-percent of the settlement funds, must submit software licensing forms and other documentation to get their refunds.

A sizable recovery may be worth the effort, particularly for companies that upgraded their employees' Windows and Office software between 1995 and 2001. "We have quite a few corporate clients who will recover over a million dollars each," Yellen noted.

Anyone who has not yet filed for a refund can download a claim form at www.microsoftcalsettlement.com. Settlement Recovery Center has posted a list of helpful filing tips at www.settlementrecovery.com/camstips/index.jsp.

The deadline for filing claims is January 8, 2005. Yellen is urging people not to wait. "Everyone should take advantage of this opportunity to recover what they are entitled to from Microsoft."