The Verge - Apple and publishers under fire for ebook price fixing

US DoJ calls Apple's ebook antitrust defense 'unconvincing,' presents Steve Jobs email as evidence

2013-05-15T08:57:56Z

The US Department of Justice (DoJ) has called Apple's defense of its ebook practices "unconvincing" in a filing related to an upcoming antitrust case. Apple stands accused of colluding with major publishers to raise the price of ebooks with the launch of its iBooks app and store. The publishers and Apple have defended their actions as an attempt to break Amazon's grip on the market. However, all five of the named publishers in the case have settled with the DoJ, accepting terms that would prevent similar collusion from occurring again and leaving Apple alone to fight its corner.

Penguin to terminate ebook deal with Apple in bid to end European antitrust investigation

2013-04-19T14:09:05Z

The European Commission's investigation into Apple and major book publishers over ebook price-fixing may soon come to an end after Penguin became the last agency to offer a settlement in the antitrust case. The Commission today published a new notice on its website inviting comments from "interested parties" on Penguin's proposal to terminate existing pricing agreements with Apple which would see it refrain from signing similar agreements for five years.

Tim Cook ordered to testify in ebook price-fixing case

2013-03-13T18:27:02Z

Judge Denise Cote has granted the Justice Department's request to make Apple CEO Tim Cook sit for a deposition in an ongoing ebook price-fixing lawsuit. The suit originally involved Apple and five major US publishers, all of whom were accused of collaborating to keep prices artificially high. Now, Apple remains the only party that's refused to settle, with a trial currently set for June. If found guilty, Apple faces an injunction against similar conduct going forward, which could potentially hamper future deals.

Apple attempted to block Cook's deposition on the grounds that it wasn't necessary since 11 other executives had already testified. The court, however, determined that he likely had information about both Apple's entry into the...

Macmillan settles in ebook price-fixing case, leaving Apple a lone holdout

2013-02-08T15:43:04Z

The US Department of Justice has announced that it's settled with Macmillan in an ebook price-fixing case involving Apple and several other publishers. In a statement, the DoJ said Macmillan has agreed to lift restrictions on discounting ebooks, and to report on any joint ventures or collaborations with other publishers. Macmillan, HarperCollins, Penguin, Simon & Schuster, and Hachette were all accused of conspiring with Apple to raise the prices of their ebooks in response to Amazon's low prices in mid-2012. Three of the publishers almost immediately settled, and Penguin followed suit in December, leaving Macmillan the only holdout besides Apple. Both Macmillan and Penguin's decisions still need to be officially approved after a public...

Penguin settles with US government in ebook price-fixing case

2012-12-18T23:00:56Z

Book publisher Penguin has just settled with the US Department of Justice over an ongoing ebook price-fixing lawsuit. That leaves only Apple and publisher Macmillan out of the original defendants; Harper Collins, Simon & Schuster, and Hachette all finalized a settlement back in September. Like the other publishers, Penguin will terminate its agreement with Apple and other ebook retailers and will be constrained for two years from entering into any agreements that limit retailers' abilities to offer promotions or discounts on Penguin's ebooks.

While Macmillan and Apple appear to still be holding out, there's a chance they could settle sooner or later — both parties settled a similar price-fixing investigation with Europe in early...

Apple and publishers settle with EU after ebook price-fixing investigation

2012-11-06T15:21:25Z

Apple and book publishers may see their ebook price fixing drama come to a close in Europe soon: Reuters reports that EU regulators will accept an offer allowing Amazon and others to sell ebooks at lower prices than Apple, which will reportedly end the antitrust investigation and allow Apple and others to avoid fines. The proposal was offered by Apple, HarperCollins, Hachette, Macmillan, and Simon & Schuster in August. The group was accused of colluding to fix ebook pricing instead of competing with retailers like Amazon. Reuters reports that the EU is likely to accept the offer and announce the decision in December, which would come roughly one year after it announced a formal investigation into price fixing.

Apple and publishers are...

Amazon details ebook price-fixing refund policy, will give up to $1.32 per book

2012-10-15T08:38:06Z

Customers that purchased an ebook from Amazon between April 2010 and May 2012 will receive a partial refund soon. The Wall Street Journal says that Amazon has begun to email customers informing them that they'll receive between $0.30 and $1.32 for each ebook from the publishers named in the lawsuit — namely Hachette, HarperCollins, Macmillan, Penguin, Simon & Schuster, and their subsidiaries. The top-tier credits will be reserved for titles that made The New York Times' bestsellers list at any point between April 2010 and May 2012. Refunds will arrive in the form of an account credit, although you will be able to request a check instead.

The refund is the result of an investigation into price-fixing by Apple and major publishers. The...

Apple and four publishers agree to terminate 'agency' sales model in Europe

2012-09-19T21:09:05Z

Apple and four major book publishers have agreed to terminate their existing agreement for selling ebooks at higher prices as part of the ongoing European Union antitrust investigation into ebook sales practices. Under the new settlement, the "agency" agreement between Apple and publishers is abolished; instead, retailers are free to set the price of ebooks anywhere they choose over the next two years, provided that the value of the discounts offered does not exceed the value of the sales commissions the retailer receives from the publisher. Additionally, the clauses built into ebook sales contracts that prevented publishers from having their books sold for less than they were sold by Apple have also been done away with for at least the...