Microsoft settles Tennessee class action

Microsoft Corp. has agreed to pay $64 million to settle a class-action lawsuit in Tennessee that alleged it overcharged for its software, the software maker said Friday.

The deal is similar to settlements that Microsoft has reached in other states. Tennessee residents who bought Microsoft Windows, Office or stand-alone Word or Excel products between Dec. 21, 1995, and Dec. 31, 2002, can apply for vouchers that may be used to buy desktop or notebook computers, software or certain peripherals, Microsoft said in a statement.

The maximum value of the vouchers issued will total $64 million, Microsoft said. Half of any unclaimed vouchers will go to the Tennessee Commissioner of Education and can be used to buy hardware, software and services for schools from Microsoft and other vendors, the Redmond, Washington, software maker said.

Microsoft announced settlements with several U.S. states in October. That announcement included Tennessee, but the settlements had not yet been approved and no details were given at the time. The settlement received preliminary approval Friday, Microsoft said.