Apple Ebook Pricing Conspiracy
Book publishers to drive up book prices or was it just the.
Apple ebook pricing conspiracy. On wednesday judge denise cote found apple guilty of conspiring to fix ebook prices with several publishers reports the verge. Getty images via daylife was apple the mastermind of a conspiracy among the biggest u s. The suit filed in april 2012 alleged that apple inc.
In ebooks however apple found such resistance for pushing the price of digital titles down to the 9 99 price set by amazon that it allowed publishers to adopt their own pricing from the start. The court ended a long running legal battle. For consumers the practical effects of the ruling are.
Apple found guilty in ebook pricing conspiracy. Conspired to raise the price of e books in violation of the sherman act. Apple denies conspiracy in e book pricing trial the doj accuses apple of conspiring with book publishers to fix ebook prices for the launch of the ibookstore.
The department of justice and apple s opening statements lasted for nearly the entire day but they introduced little material that would be surprising to anybody who has been following. Earlier today apple lost a major case when district judge denise cote ruled that the company led a conspiracy to raise e book prices above those charged by amazon. A few days after apple inked its own deals with publishers amazon backed down and allowed e book prices to rise to about 12 99 to 14 99.
In the case brought in 2012 the justice department accused apple and five book publishers of conspiring to raise e book prices above amazon s standard price of 9 99 for new e book titles. And five book publishing companies conspired to raise and fix the price for e books in violation of section 1 of the sherman antitrust act. Apple violated federal antitrust law in a conspiracy with five book publishers to fix ebook prices according to the 2nd u s.
Apple facilitated a conspiracy with major book publishers to raise the price of e books costing consumers millions of dollars a federal judge ruled wednesday in a significant blow to the. Cote s 160 page ruling.