Justice Department formally charges Apple, big five publishers in ebook price fixing case (update)

The Justice Department has formally decided to sue Apple, Hachette, HarperCollins, Macmillian, Penguin and Simon & Schuster over alleged ebook price-rigging. Apple and Macmillian have already denied any wrongdoing, saying that the agreements were enhancing competition in an industry previously dominated by Amazon. The case centers around a deal to switch to agency pricing, where the vendor takes a 30 percent cut of each sale rather than the wholesale model which allows stores to sell books at rock-bottom prices. It was previously believed that the publishers had cut back-room deals with the Government agency after bowing to pressure to withdraw Cupertino's "favored nation" status. If successful, the DoJ will allow Amazon and Barnes and Noble amongst others to return to the wholesale model to sell best-sellers at a loss, something that the big five are desperate to avoid, and will look to fight the battle in court. Update: The PDF of the DoJ's filing is now available online -- it makes for fascinating reading. Update 2: Bloomberg is now reporting that Simon & Schuster, Lagardère SCA's Hachette Book Group and HarperCollins have settled with the DoJ over unspecified terms. Hasty!Justice Department formally charges Apple, big five publishers in ebook price fixing case (update) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 11 Apr 2012 10:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink   |  Bloomberg, Department of Justice filing (PDF)  | Email this | Comments Continue reading at 'Engadget'

[ Engadget | 2012-04-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with: #sell books #previously believed #favored nation #fascinating reading

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As Library E-Books Live Long, Publisher Sets Expiration Date

While librarians are pushing for access to more ebooks to satisfy demand, publishers are reconsidering how much that access should be worth. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2011-03-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Hearst Magazines is 2010 Group Publisher's Ad-Page Champ

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[ Folio Magazine | 2011-03-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Children's Books Publishing in Asia

In most parts of Asia, wizardry and fantastical plots have lost much of their magic after dominating the bestseller list for so long. The subsequent vampire and werewolf fever is, by comparison, not as rabidly welcomed in certain territories. As for that wimpy kid, well, his popularity suffers... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2011-03-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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IPG: Publisher and retailer relationships must change

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[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ Folio Magazine | 2011-03-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ Folio Magazine | 2011-03-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ The New York Times | 2011-03-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ PC World | 2011-03-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ The New York Times | 2011-02-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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