Apple appeals against e-books antitrust ruling

A U.S. court last year found Apple guilty of manipulating eBooks prices with its iBooks Store. The Cupertino based giant has now filed for an appeal against this ruling to either reverse the ruling or start a fresh trial. The company was believed to have had an inside understanding with five major book publishers to fix the pricing of eBooks, which allegedly inflated the cost of e-books. Apple said in its appeal – “The district court’s ruling that Apple, in the very act of launching the iPad, inventing the iBooks Store, and entering the e-books market, violated the Sherman Act is a radical departure from modern antitrust law and policy. If allowed to stand, the ruling will stifle innovation, chill competition, and harm consumers.” Part of the reason why the Department of Justice cracked the whip on Apple was due to its allegedly unfair “agency model” system which restricted publishers from selling their content to other retailers for a lower price. Apple has countered this argument by claiming that the judge used incorrect legal standards while hearing the case. The company further goes on to call this whole episode a conspiracy. It’s certainly not the end of the trial now, with Apple’s appeal expected to keep the lawyers busy. But it is clear that the company is currently at a disadvantage after last year’s court ruling. Via: Apple Insider Apple Appeal of E-Books Ruling by Mikey Campbell Continue reading →

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