Cable company Comcast was slammed with a class-action lawsuit in 2007 for "restricting access to file-sharing protocols." Of the protocols restricted, the widely known BitTorrent and Gnutella were two of them. According to Ars Technica, Comcast is "on the verge of settling with irate customers."
Likely in order to avoid an arduous legal campaign, Comcast proposed a $16 million settlement for users who experienced the restricted access. The proposal is "not an admission of wrongdoing by any party," as posted by the Settlement Website, but rather an expression that Comcast wants to "avoid a potentially lengthy and distracting legal dispute that would serve no useful purpose." (ArsTechnica).
Instructions are posted on the site linked above for those who wish to file a claim, should they have been one of the customers experiencing restricted access to legal video and audio files posted on BitTorrent. Class members can look forward to the following:
Comcast agrees to credit or refund some current or former High-Speed Internet service customers. Comcast agrees to pay up to $16 million dollars, less Settlement costs, to eligible Class Members. If you submit a valid Claim Form, you will receive a share of this amount, not to exceed $16.00
Ars says that a judge is still required to sign off on the agreement. There you go, $16. That should pay some of your internet bill, anyway.