When Rick Peltz got word last year that Microsoft had agreed to pay $1.1 billion to settle a class-action antitrust lawsuit in California, he did some quick math. Peltz figured his Encino, Calif.-based real estate company stood to get a $45 refund for each of its 350 Windows PC workstations, or $15,750. Then Peltz learned Microsoft's agreement went so far as to refund 22% of every dollar that California consumers and businesses spent on its desktop software from Feb. 18, 1995, to Dec. 15, 2001. During those seven years, Marcus & Millichap Real Estate Investment Brokerage had upgraded its Windows PCs at least three times. Suddenly, Peltz was looking at $47,250.
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