SAN DIEGO, Dec. 21, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Comcast Corporation has agreed to settle a consumer class action that challenged the company's practice of secretly blocking certain Internet traffic while claiming to provide unlimited Internet access. The lawsuit alleges that Comcast impaired the use of some "Peer-to-Peer" file sharing traffic ("P2P") on Comcast's High-Speed Internet network. Under the terms of the settlement, Comcast has agreed to pay up to $16 million, less settlement costs, to eligible Class members.
P2P protocols facilitate the sharing and transfer of content such as high-definition movies and audio files between groups of users. P2P protocols are different than most streaming video services like YouTube and Netflix, which do not use P2P and are not involved in this case.
"This settlement is a great result for Comcast customers," Lexington Law Group partner Mark Todzo states. "It creates an efficient and effective mechanism that will put money back in the customers' hands without them individually going to court."
The action is currently pending in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and is being handled by Lexington Law Group together with the leading nationwide class-action firm Scott+Scott LLP.
Comcast customers may be eligible to get a refund or credit if they live in the United States or its Territories with a current or former Comcast High-Speed Internet account and either:
* Used or attempted to use Comcast service to use the Ares, BitTorrent, eDonkey, FastTrack or Gnutella P2P protocols any time from April 1, 2006 to December 31, 2008 and were unable to share files or have reason to believe that the speed at which files were shared was impaired; and/or * Attempted but were unable to use Comcast service to use Lotus Notes to send emails any time from March 26, 2007 to October 3, 2007.
Comcast customers who wish to make a claim for settlement benefits should call 1-877-567-2754, or visit www.P2PCongestionSettlement.com for more information.
The Lexington Law Group is a public interest law firm specializing in consumer protection and environmental cases. Its cases have resulted in the removal of toxic chemicals from thousands of everyday products and recovery of millions of dollars for the benefit of consumers.
Scott+Scott LLP is a law firm with significant experience in prosecuting national class actions. The firm currently is litigating major consumer, securities, antitrust, insurance and employee-related actions throughout the United States. Scott+Scott LLP represents injured consumers, pension funds, foundations and other entities worldwide.