http://news.cnet.com/8301-27076_3-57380685-248/settlement-reached-in-iphone-4-antennagate-suit/ Interesting.
Apple gave people free cases in the UK shortly after the iPhone 4 was launched. It wasn't just limited to Apple's bumpers though, I got a Griffin Reveal Etch.
I never had any reception problems with I had an iPhone 4. It's like any phone where if you hold it in the right place signal will go down. It's just stupid people jumping on the band wagon that want something for nothing.
The problem was shown by arstechnica to be worse on the iPhone 4 than other phones. It's not just in peoples imagination, and clearly Apple recognized the problem because they fixed it in the 4s. I can definitely see the signal drop down significantly when I'm holding my iPhone 4 normally, which has my palm bridging the gap. Moreover it happens even with a case, just a bit less. However, in class action lawsuits it's the lawyers that win, and everybody else gets a token gesture.