When the dust finally settled from the Department of Justice lawsuit against Apple and five of the then-Big Six publishers for illegally colluding to inflate the price of ebooks, essentially bilking consumers out of hundreds of millions of dollars in an effort to grab some more market share away from Amazon, the terms of the judge's ruling included a caveat. That statement was … [Read more...] about Big Five Back in Court over eBook Pricing
Department of Justice
Apple Settles Out of Court in $840M Lawsuit
In the ongoing and tension-filled proceedings against Apple for its role in an anti-trust investigation and resulting lawsuit brought by the Department of Justice and multiple states' attorney general, the company has fought back at nearly every turn. Some have questioned whether this was more a matter of principle than anything else, as the attorneys' fees alone have to have … [Read more...] about Apple Settles Out of Court in $840M Lawsuit
Apple Request to Delay Damages Trial Rejected by Appeals Court
In the ongoing legal battles involving Apple over antitrust violations in an ebook price fixing case, it seems the technology giant just can't catch a break. Between rulings against the company for its involvement with colluding with most of the Big Five publishers, to having an outsider officer appointed to oversee its operations, it feels like every time Apple sees a … [Read more...] about Apple Request to Delay Damages Trial Rejected by Appeals Court
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
Attorney Watchdog Named in Apple Anti-Trust Case
Part of the terms of the Department of Justice anti-trust lawsuit against Apple and several major publishers included the establishment of an external watchdog to monitor Apple's actions, especially where business deals with publishers are concerned. Today, the attorney who will serve in that capacity was named, one of two choices proposed for the role by the DoJ. Michael … [Read more...] about Attorney Watchdog Named in Apple Anti-Trust Case
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
News from the Big Six, Apple Antitrust Settlements
Today, the final piece of the Big Six puzzle fell into place. Months after the initial co-defendants in an antitrust lawsuit settled out of court, the remaining publisher, Penguin, settled with the attorneys general from 33 states for $75 million. This settlement comes less than a year after Penguin settled a similar claim with the Department of Justice. “This proposed … [Read more...] about News from the Big Six, Apple Antitrust Settlements
Judge Approves eBook Settlement, Price Power Back to the Retailers
In a long-awaited decision from Judge Denise Cote, the court approved the settlement terms from three of the five Big Six publishers who allegedly colluded with Apple to set the prices of ebooks artificially high in order to rein in some of Amazon’s dominance over the market. This settlement will allow retailers to set the price of ebooks again, meaning the publishers will have … [Read more...] about Judge Approves eBook Settlement, Price Power Back to the Retailers
Long Term Effects of the DoJ Lawsuit Against Apple, Publishers
Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) has spoken out in defense of Apple and the publishers who are currently engaged in court proceedings with the Department of Justice over anti-trust violations. While Sen. Schumer does not necessarily defend the actions of the computer giant of its publishing co-defendants, he does argue that going forward with the lawsuit and any … [Read more...] about Long Term Effects of the DoJ Lawsuit Against Apple, Publishers