Data General Corp has had to pay more than $1m to settle the federal case in which it was accused of overcharging the government for spare computer parts. The US attorney’s office claimed that Data General provided discounts to some customers but not to the government in a contract that spanned from 1982 to 1984. The government said it was overcharged by $400,000 to $724,000 in 1983 and 1984. A hurt Data General said the discounts were given to distributors and resellers, not end-users like the government – but in another indictment of the American legal system, decided it would be cheaper to settle than to fight.
