Publisher e-book settlement to pay from $162.25M fund

Macmillan and Penguin — two publishers that agreed to settle in the Apple e-book price-fixing case — now have a website detailing the distribution of a $162.25 million settlement fund. Customers eligible to receive a settlement payment are already being contacted. U.S. customers who purchased one or more e-books from Macmillan, Penguin, Simon & Schuster, HarperCollins, or Hachette between April 1, 2010 and May 21, 2012 — including their divisions — are included in the settlement. Those who bought e-books through Apple, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Kobo will not be required to fill out a claim — Amazon customers will receive an automatic credit, while those who used the other e-bookstores will be notified to activate a credit. Though the exact payment amounts are unknown, the website estimates customers could receive $3.06 for each New York Times bestseller e-book, and $ .73 for non-NY Times bestsellers. This settlement will not affect any customer rights that may come from the conclusion of the ongoing Apple e-book lawsuit.