(U-WIRE) NEW YORK - Music enthusiasts are missing an opportunity to cash in on one of the nation's largest music industry lawsuits in years, and New York University students are among the millions of Americans who may be entitled to compensation checks of up to $20, industry officials said.

In August 2000, 41 states and two U.S. territories filed a lawsuit against a host of music producers and distributors who allegedly collaborated to raise the minimum price of CDs, tapes and records. Bertelsmann Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, Warner-Elektra-Atlantic Corp., EMI Music Distribution, Universal Music Group, Tower Records, Musicland Stores and Transworld Entertainment all agreed on a settlement totaling $143.1 million last September.

The Compact Disc Minimum Advertised Price Antitrust Litigation Settlement will provide more than $67.4 million for cash payments to individuals who purchased music products during a five-year period, and will supply an additional $75.7 million worth of CDs to charities and other non-profit, music-related programs.

Despite the millions of dollars that remain unclaimed, few consumers are aware of the settlement or their entitlement to compensation. By the end of 2002 only 30,000 people had filed a claim, The Associated Press reported.

Murat Akturk, an employee at Tower Records on Broadway and West Fourth Street in New York City, said that no one at the store had been informed about the lawsuit or was aware of the possible refunds.