Who did they pay the fine to exactly?

And what made them pay it? Did the companies whose software was (most probably unintentionally) pirated get any of it? Was this some sort of "bribe" to stop them being taken to court or something?

Sounds a bit like a protection racket to me.

Does anyone know what the money is going to be used for? Who profits from this?

If this was the US we'd all be moaning about how it's like the RIAA and MPAA campaigns of demanding money with menaces. We're just too polite for our own good this side of the Atlantic.