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Apple e-book price-fix trial starts

June 4, 2013

e-bookA landmark antitrust trial pitting Apple and a coalition of major publishers against the U.S. Justice Department for alleged price-fixing of e-books is under way in New York. [Los Angeles Times]

Amid accusations that the alleged conspiracy cost consumers “hundred of millions of dollars,” the trial seeks to determine if  a 50 percent hike in online book prices which occurred along with the launch of its e-book enterprise in 2010 was part of a price-fixing scheme.

Justice Department lawyer Lawrence Buterman said in his opening statement, “This dramatic price increase was no accident. Apple knowingly and actively participated in a scheme to raise e-book prices.”

Defense attorneys said Apple was only bringing “innovation” to the emerging e-book industry, and did not participate in a conspiracy.

The five publishers reportedly engaged with Apple have all reached settlements with the government.


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Have you read Job’s Autobiography?


One of the things he was trying to do was to keep the costs of books down as he did in negotiating the low prices for downloading music singles .The biggest objections came from the publishers who wanted to set their own prices… some of them didn’t want the ‘low’ Apple prices and decided not to participate… and this I think is the rub and where the real problem began.


Sadly, I believe that if Apple loses this fight… the price of books will go up dramatically on-line.


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Roger, You’ve got that bass ackwards! If that’s what your god wrote, it’s spin (aka a lie)


Apple raised prices on ebooks.


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I still remember when Apple convinced it’s zombie followers that Microsoft was a monopoly! LoL – tell that to any software and/or hardware developer. Apple is an excellent free market, capitalist corporation; more so because they’ve duped the anti-capitalist drones for so many years. They are truly a company worthy of study. RIP Mr. Jobs.


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