DOJ

Apple can keep 30 percent cut on sales, injunction in DOJ ebooks case confirms

Ed Sutherland / September 6, 2013

Like a prisoner on Death Row, Apple has delayed its penalty for weeks, offering up objection after objection to a proposed Department of Justice ebook antitrust settlement. Friday, federal judge Denise Cote issued an injunction, giving federal lawyers much of what they wanted.

Among the prohibitions against Apple: a five-year ban on so-called 'most-favored-nation' clauses in publisher contracts that would prevent ebook sellers from using rival services, such as Amazon. Also part of the penalty package was a requirement that Apple stagger contract negotiations with the five publishers that had already settled...

Apple: DOJ’s revised e-book remedies a ‘broadside’ favoring Amazon

Ed Sutherland / August 27, 2013

Even after the end of a formal antitrust trial, both sides in ebook pricing case continue to argue. Apple said the Department of Justice's latest version of proposed penalties are a "broadside" favoring rival Amazon. The comments by Apple's legal team came as the government and the iBooks company hammer out details largely in public.

Apple's remarks centered on the DOJ's insistence that an outside antitrust monitor be named to ensure against anticompetitive practices in the ebook industry. In July, Apple was found guilty of ebook price-fixing and colluding with publishers against Amazon...

Apple’s ebook damages trial tentatively scheduled for May 2014

Cody Lee / August 15, 2013

US District Court Judge Denise Cote sent out an order on Tuesday, made public last night, calling for all parties involved in Apple's e-book case to prepare for a damages trial set for May 2014. Apple could wind up owing hundreds of millions of dollars in damages.

Back in June, Judge Cote found the Cupertino company guilty of conspiring with 5 major book publishers to raise the price of ebooks. At the time of the ruling, the court hadn't set dates for any of the follow-up hearings. But yesterday's order helps fill in the blanks...

Apple’s request to suspend e-book ruling denied

Christian Zibreg / April 18, 2016

Today's a big day for Apple as the company faces some major legal showdowns. First, the United States International Trade Commission handed down its final ruling on the long-running complaint against Samsung, ordering an import ban on infringing Samsung smartphones and tablets, which will take effect at the end of the 60-day Presidential review period.

It's a major win for Apple in its long-standing dispute against Samsung. However, the company is also waging another major battle, this one concerning the U.S. government's e-book price fixing allegations.

Apple's agency business model - where publishers get to price their iBooks themselves, with Apple keeping its standard 30 percent cut - has unfortunatelly suffered a major setback as its request to suspend Judge Cote’s ruling in e-book case has been denied...

DoJ again accuses Apple of conspiring with publishers

Christian Zibreg / January 26, 2016

In another twist to the e-book case involving Apple and five major book publishers, the United States Department of Justice (DoJ) on Friday said Apple and publishers have “banded together once again," arguing strict regulation is necessary. Apple of course argued a stay. The government may be attempting to gain leverage here by accusing (again) Apple of conspiring with publishers ahead of today's decision on punishment in the e-book antitrust case...

Publishers file objection to DoJ’s e-book settlement proposal on Apple’s behalf

Cody Lee / April 14, 2018

The Wall Street Journal is reporting this evening that the five book publishers who settled with the US government in the e-book antitrust case have filed an objection with the court on Apple's behalf.

In the filing, the companies argue that the Department of Justice's settlement proposal for Apple, which it submitted last week, would violate their settlement agreements they had before the trial began...

Apple calls DoJ e-books settlement proposal ‘draconian’ and ‘punitive’

Cody Lee / August 2, 2013

Earlier today, the Department of Justice filed new court documents, offering Apple a settlement for its e-book price fixing case. The iPad-maker was found guilty last month of conspiring with 5 major book publishers to raise e-book prices.

In the filing, the DoJ essentially asked that Apple completely restructure its e-book business model. And unsurprisingly, it filed its own brief this afternoon, calling the proposal a "draconian and punitive intrusion into Apple's business..."

Eddy Cue talks Steve Jobs, page curls and iBooks launch at e-book hearing

Cody Lee / April 14, 2018

Eddy Cue once again took the stand today in Apple's ongoing antitrust case with the Department of Justice. The company's SVP of Internet software and services took the stand on Friday to talk about Steve Jobs' involvement in Apple's iBooks project. And this morning, he offered up a few more details.

Cue spoke more candidly on the witness stand today, providing several interesting tidbits about Jobs' participation in Apple's iBooks launch back in 2010. Apparently, the then-CEO had a big hand in the project, doing everything from designing minor UI details to choosing which book to offer for free...

Apple: no conspiracy in e-book case, DoJ unfairly twisted Steve’s words

Christian Zibreg / April 18, 2016

Yesterday, the Department of Justice (DoJ) publicized its antitrust case against Apple in the form of an 81-page slide deck to prove that the iPhone maker has teamed up with five major U.S. publishers to form a cartel in order to raise prices of digital books. But as Tim Cook said at the D11 conference, Apple is going to fight the "bizarre" case and has no intention to “sign something that says we did something that we didn’t do".

And while the DoJ is arguing the facts, Apple is arguing the law and accusing the government of unfairly twisting Steve Jobs's words pulled from Walter Isaacson’s bio book. Apple’s attorney Orin Snyder denied any conspiracy and argued that “publishers fought us tooth and nail”...

Apple squares off with the government in ‘bizzare’ e-book lawsuit

Christian Zibreg / April 18, 2016

As I reported earlier this morning, Apple today squared off with the United States Department of Justice (DoJ) in a Manhattan courtroom in a "bizzare" case (Tim Cook's words, not mine) that some watchers say will set the rules for Internet commerce. Here's what both sides emphasized in their opening statements, including an upcoming testimony by Apple's Internet services lead Eddy Cue...

Apple goes to trial today over e-book price fixing allegations

Christian Zibreg / June 3, 2013

As you know, the United States Department of Justice (DoJ) in April 2010 filed an antitrust lawsuit against Apple over allegations that it conspired with five major publishers to raise prices of e-books sold on the iBookstore in order to break Amazon's monopoly. Now, DoJ previously called Apple a facilitator and said email messages from Steve Jobs prove its guilt. U.S. District Judge Denise Cote believes the government will prevail and Reuters reports this morning that Apple is scheduled to square off with the government in a Manhattan courtroom later today.

Apple, of course, maintains its innocence. So, why all the fuss?

Penguin settles for $75 million with DoJ in e-book price fixing suit

Christian Zibreg / January 26, 2016

Penguin, one of the five named publishers in the Apple e-book price fixing suit, has reached a comprehensive agreement with the United States State Attorneys General and private class plaintiffs to pay a cool $75 million in consumer damages, in addition to costs and fees related to resolving all antitrust claims relating to the e-book price fixing suit...