News was announced yesterday from the lawyers for the plaintiffs in one of Apple's side lawsuits over ebook pricing that the grand total the company could have to pay out to consumers is $400 million. This amount was disclosed after the terms of the settlement were released following Judge Denise Cote's approval of the settlement. This settlement isn't to be confused with … [Read more...] about More Speculation on the Final Bill for Apple’s Price Fixing Problems
Big Six
New Plaintiffs Come on Board Against Apple for eBook Price Fixing
Apple is still waiting for the final decision from Judge Denise Cote in the ebook price fixing scandal, entered into with five of the then-Big Six publishers in order to drive out some of Amazon's market share. While the publishers settled out of court, Apple wasn't so lucky. The final damages in the suit--which certain provisions under the law could cause to come in at almost … [Read more...] about New Plaintiffs Come on Board Against Apple for eBook Price Fixing
Judge Throws Out Conspiracy Case Against Amazon, Publishers
At the same time five of the then-Big Six publishers and Apple were sweating under a multi-million dollar lawsuit and investigation for trying to bring down Amazon, three independent bookstores in the US filed a suit alleging the Amazon and the Big Six publishers had created a conspiracy to squeeze out independent booksellers by artificially working the DRM-status of Kindle … [Read more...] about Judge Throws Out Conspiracy Case Against Amazon, Publishers
Efforts to Intervene in Disbursement of Refunds in DOJ, Publisher Suit
Late last week, Judge Denise Cote, the judge who has presided over the Department of Justice lawsuit against Apple and five of the then-Big Six publishers, approved the terms of the settlements with the publishers, meaning the doors have finally been opened for the money to begin making its way back to the consumers who overpaid for ebooks. But one person has been working to … [Read more...] about Efforts to Intervene in Disbursement of Refunds in DOJ, Publisher Suit
Data Reveals How Much Consumers Overspent Thanks to eBook Price Fixing
In all of the coverage of did-they-or-didn't-they aspect to the Apple ebook price fixing lawsuit, very little news came out about how the alleged secret meetings and publisher plots to take down Amazon actually affected the consumers. This week Publisher's Weekly's Andrew Albanese posted an article that details the actual breakdown by state of how many consumers were … [Read more...] about Data Reveals How Much Consumers Overspent Thanks to eBook Price Fixing
The eBook Lawsuits Are Over…Where’s My Money?
As is the case in lawsuits involving major corporations having to pay monetary damages to their customers, the payouts from the Apple and Big Five ebook price fixing scandal will be slow in coming. With Apple's damages not to even be determined until late spring of next year, the only payments that have taken place are in the form of the settlements that the publishers reached … [Read more...] about The eBook Lawsuits Are Over…Where’s My Money?
Apple’s Court Date for Damages Is May 2104
Consumers who are expecting some payouts as a result of the Department of Justice lawsuit against Apple and five of the Big Six publishers will be waiting a little longer for their refunds. While the court ruled that Apple was guilty of collaborating to raise ebook prices, and even though the publishers have already settled out of court for their involvement in the allegations, … [Read more...] about Apple’s Court Date for Damages Is May 2104
Publishers Displeased with DOJ Terms against Apple
The first stage in the Department of Justice anti-trust lawsuit against Apple and five of the Big Six publishers was to secure settlements from the publishers involved. The publishers, who at the time were Penguin, Macmillan, HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, and Hachette but who only now include Random House due to its merger with Penguin (Random House took no part in the … [Read more...] about Publishers Displeased with DOJ Terms against Apple
Amazon, Big Six Sued by Independent Bookstores Over DRM
As if there wasn't enough interesting controversy in the relationship between Amazon and the Big Six publishing houses, for once they are all on the same side of the courtroom. Three independent bookstores, who seem to be acting on behalf of indie bookshops everywhere, are suing Amazon and the Big Six over the DRM status of ebooks that prevents them from being shared on any … [Read more...] about Amazon, Big Six Sued by Independent Bookstores Over DRM
Barnes and Noble Customers Can Gift Big Six Titles for Free
Even back in the "dire predictions" phase of digital publishing when critics argued that ebooks would be the death of book stores, Barnes and Noble showed itself to be ready to embrace the new technology while still maintaining its substantial interests in its physical stores. More than two years ago, B&N launched a series of initiatives aimed entirely at bringing its … [Read more...] about Barnes and Noble Customers Can Gift Big Six Titles for Free
Publishers Agree to Agency 2 Pricing Model
Many book retailers were put out by the requirement to write all new contracts with the publishers following the Department of Justice settlement with a handful of the Big Five, but it looks like a viable pricing model may have been found. Since those publishers were forced to abandon the "agency pricing" model, in which the publishers dictate to the retailers how much the book … [Read more...] about Publishers Agree to Agency 2 Pricing Model
Amazon Customers to Receive Account Credits from eBook Settlement
As part of the settlement terms in several states' Attorneys General lawsuits against some of the Big Six publishers over alleged ebook price fixing, Amazon customers received some welcome news today: they would be receiving account credits on eligible purchases. Three publishers, Hachette Book Group, HarperCollins, and Simon&Schuster, settled out of court in the resulting … [Read more...] about Amazon Customers to Receive Account Credits from eBook Settlement
Non-Profit Worldreader Brings on New Publishers
In some positive news for publishers Simon&Schuster and HarperCollins, who have been dealing with the shift in the ebook market and the litigation settlements in the Apple price fixing case brought on by the Department of Justice, the publishers announced a partnership with Worldreader to bring their titles to sub-Saharan Africa as part of the charity’s ebook distribution … [Read more...] about Non-Profit Worldreader Brings on New Publishers
eBook Price Fixing Settlement in EU
While the US courts hear arguments about alleged price fixing and anti-trust issues between Apple and five of the Big Six publishers’ effort to reduce Amazon’s hold on the ebook industry, a similar investigation has been going on in the EU over the same accusations. Just as three of the publishers—Simon and Schuster, Hachette Group, and HarperCollins—settled in the US, Apple … [Read more...] about eBook Price Fixing Settlement in EU