Attorney General Jim Hood says consumers and businesses are entitled to a cash refund from a private billion dollar settlement fund if they purchased an electronic device containing an LCD component between 1999 and 2006.

The fund is made up of settlements with ten manufacturers over an illegal conspiracy to raise the price of LCD (thin-film transistor liquid display) flat panels. LCD screens are used in televisions, monitors and laptop computers, according to a release from the AG’s office.

“Mississippi consumers and businesses are eligible to receive compensation as a result of this settlement,” said Attorney General Jim Hood. “We encourage you to file your claim online before the December 6th deadline.”

In a separate lawsuit, the Mississippi Attorney General is pursuing additional claims, including statutory civil penalties against the same defendants.

Eligible consumers could collect $25, $100, $200 or more depending upon the number of televisions, monitors, and laptop computers purchased. Businesses with large purchases could recoup thousands of dollars. Filing a claim consists of a few questions about the number of LCD flat screen TVs, monitors and laptops that were purchased from 1999 to 2006.

Consumers and businesses are eligible for payments if they were residents of Mississippi or one of the other 23 settling states or the District of Columbia at the time of purchase. The other states include Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Hawaii, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

The deadline to file claims is Dec. 6, 2012.

Claims can be filed easily by visiting www.LCDclass.com

The Settling Defendants that manufactured the flat panels for use in LCD flat screen TVs, monitors and laptops are: AU Optronics Corporation, Hitachi Ltd., Sharp Corporation, Toshiba Corporation, Samsung Electronics Corporation, Epson Imaging Devices Corporation, LG Electronics, Chunghwa Picture Tubes, HannStar Display Corporation, and Chi Mei Optoelectronics.