Verizon is offering a cash rebate to net users who had messages blocked during a notorious period either side of Christmas 2004.

It's part of a tentative settlement to a pair of class action suits that arose from the blockade. The catch is it only applies to Verizon's own stateside internet customers. If you were sending a message from Europe or Asia, only to see it blocked by Verizon's over-aggressive filters, you're out of luck.

The blockade began on 22 December 2004, with Verizon blocking a range of filters from Europe and Asia. Many Register readers in the US were affected, as our daily newsletter was blacklisted in the blockade.

At one stage, a Verizon PR rep even advised his ISP customers to get on the phone.

"If it's really important you might want to make a phone call," Ells Edwards said.

But presumably not a Verizon cellphone, as Verizon's CEO admits they don't work very well indoors.

And the rebate won't cover the cost of too many transatlantic calls. Verizon has a site, which explains that its customers can claim up to $3.50 for each month affected between 1 December 2004 and 31 May 2005, up to a maximum of $21. ®

Related stories

• Hospital radio station struggles with Yahoo! email 'blockade' (8 November 2007)
• Verizon faces lawsuit over email blocking (21 January 2005)
• Letters Readers storm Verizon email blockade (18 January 2005)
• Verizon persists with European email blockade (14 January 2005)