eBook

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

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..."

Amazon updates Kindle app with free sample search, custom dictionaries and more

Folks with an iPhone or iPad invested in Amazon's ebook service will be happy to hear that it has posted a solid update for its iOS Kindle client today. The update brings the app to version 3.9, and offers a handful of new features and improvements.

Perhaps the most noticeable change is the new Free Sample Search feature, which allows you to search through Amazon's extensive Kindle library to download free samples. And the Bring Your Own Dictionary option pretty much speaks for itself...

Apple could have to pay nearly $500 million in ebook case

According to a new report, Apple could have to pay half a billion in damages in its ebook pricing case. That amount is based on the settlements the book publishers, named in the case, have already paid.

For those who haven't been keeping up with the ordeal, federal judge Denise Cote found Apple guilty earlier this month, of colluding with five publishers to fix ebook prices at the launch of its iBookstore...

Apple could face triple damages in ebook verdict

Although Apple said Wednesday it would appeal its loss in the Department of Justice's ebook pricing conspiracy case, the consensus among legal eagles is: good luck, but bring your check book. In her ruling yesterday, U.S. District Court Judge Denise Cote described the iBooks maker as the ringleader in a conspiracy to undercut Amazon's choke hold on the market for electronic books.

Apple's loss yesterday means the company faces triple damages. Despite Cote's wishes to assess damages soon, that phase could be delayed for months more as Apple asks an appeals court to overturn the ruling. But reversing the judge is likely an uphill battle as Apple seeks to do some PR damage control...

Apple found guilty of orchestrating e-book pricing conspiracy

A court Wednesday found Apple had conspired to increase the prices of e-books, setting a separate trial for damages.

In a 159-page decision, U.S. District Court Judge Denise Cote wrote that "Apple played a central role" in the conspiracy, which the company flatly denied.

The government has charged Apple with working with five publishers together to undercut Amazon's control of the market. In response to the verdict, some watchers opined that the government playing so openly into the hand of a monopolist like Amazon may reduce competition...

Judge says court will likely find Apple guilty in e-book price fixing case

By now, most of you have likely heard that Apple will be going to trial with the U.S. Justice Department next month. The iPad-maker is set to defend itself against charges that it conspired with book publishers to raise e-book prices.

According to U.S. District Judge Denise Cote, it doesn't look good. In a rather unusual pretrial move, the presiding Judge offered up her tentative view on the case. And she thinks it's likely that the court will find Apple guilty...

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

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...

DoJ says Steve Jobs email proves Apple’s guilt in e-book scandal

Things are really starting to heat up between Apple and the US Department of Justice over this e-book price fixing scandal. The DoJ filed an antitrust lawsuit against Apple last year for allegedly conspiring with major book publishers to raise e-book prices.

And with the trial set to kick off in a few weeks, there's beginning to be a lot of activity between the two. Yesterday, a DoJ filing popped up that called Apple out for facilitating the price fixing. And today, a potentially damning email from Steve Jobs has surfaced...

Google updates Play Books with support for user uploaded files

Google kicked off its annual I/O developers conference yesterday with its customary keynote. The search giant used the nearly 4-hour long affair to announce new software and services, including Spotify-like Play Music All Access and Hangouts messaging.

Additionally, Google also took the opportunity yesterday to update some of its apps. It gave Gmail some new action buttons, showed off a preview of its upcoming Maps update, and released a new version of its Play Books app for both iOS and Android...

EU ends e-book Apple probe, opening door to cheaper Kindle books

It looks like another win by Amazon against so-called "agency" pricing model employed by Apple's iBookstore and other digital bookstores. Following the lead of a US court, the European Union (EU) Thursday announced that the iPhone maker along with four publishers will relent after all.

Specifically, Apple and publishers reportedly have agreed to lower e-book prices on competing stores, including the Kindle store operated by Seattle-based Amazon. Apple, along with Simon & Schuster, HarperCollins, Hachette, and Macmillan, signed the agreement because it wanted to avoid fines that could have topped an astounding $15 billion.

As part of the settlement, Apple's so-called "most-favored nation" clause - that barred publishers from offering lower prices on competing stores - gets suspended for five years...

Sony launches free e-book app to contend with iBooks

The e-book market on iOS is pretty crowded. There's Apple's iBooks, of course, and then there's Amazon's Kindle app and Nook by Barnes and Noble. And all of these services have extremely large e-book offerings and millions of users.

But apparently that isn't enough to stop Sony from throwing its hat into the ring. The electronics giant released its own free e-book app in the App Store today, entitled Reader — eBooks from Sony, for the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch...

Bought an iBook? You could be eligible for a credit amid $65M price fixing settlement

If you bought Walter Isaacson's official Steve Jobs biography, titles from the New York Times bestseller list or other iBooks from Apple (or e-books from other retailers) between April 1, 2010 and May 21, 2012, you may be eligible for your share of the $65 million settlement in the e-book price fixing scandal. Amazon and Apple started emailing customers that the settlement has been reached between the State Attorneys General and book publishers Hachette, HarperCollins and Simon & Schuster.

Though Apple has not been sued in this case, the company is "assisting in providing this notice as a service to its customers". Companies will compensate eligible customers from $0.30 to $1.32 per e-book as the named publishers already paid $69 million into a settlement fund...