The Stupidest Thing Apple Ever Did

On Wednesday, a federal judge issued a damning finding that Apple conspired with five major book publishers to fix the price of ebooks. The ruling is a chronicle of these firms’ incredible stupidity. In 2009 and 2010, the judge says, Apple and the publishers conspired more or less in the open, telegraphing their moves to the press, memorializing their discussions over email, hinting at their anti-competitive agreements in public statements, and strategizing in swanky restaurants. For a short while, they succeeded in their goal of raising book prices: Overnight, the average price of ebooks rose by nearly 20 percent, with some best-sellers shooting up by close to 50 percent. Books that used to sell for $9.99 were now $12.99 or $14.99, prices that Apple and the publishers believed would threaten Amazon.com, the undisputed king of ebooks. Continue reading at 'Slate'

[ Slate | 2013-07-12 00:00:00 UTC ]

Other news stories related to: "The Stupidest Thing Apple Ever Did"


The Case Against Apple

At what was supposed to be a routine final conference last Thursday, May 23, before the June 3 start of the government’s trial of Apple over ebook price-fixing charges, the company and its lawyers were given a glimpse of the challenges they face in clearing Apple’s name. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-05-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Apple's E-Book Argument: Deals With Publishers Improved Competition

By negotiating for an agency pricing model with publishers, Apple says, it was simply seeking to enter a new market and offer competitive prices. Continue reading at AllThingsD

[ AllThingsD | 2013-05-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Apple tells DOJ: 'we negotiated individually with publishers'

Apple has responded to the US Department of Justice's charge that it conspired with... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-05-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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In ebook case, Apple says publishers had already taken measures to counter Amazon

Concerned about Amazon.com's low pricing of ebooks, publishers had taken measures as early as 2009 such as "windowing," a practice of delaying ebook releases to benefit sales of hardcover editions, Apple said in a filing in an ebook price-fixing lawsuit.The U.S. Department of Justice in an... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2013-05-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #app store #southern district #district court #agency model #antitrust lawsuit #hardcover editions #low pricing


DOJ Filing Calls Apple "Ringmaster" of E-Book Pricing Rise

The gist: "Apple knew that the plan it was proposing involved a ‘dramatic business change’ for publisher defendants." Continue reading at AllThingsD

[ AllThingsD | 2013-05-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Apple docked $118,000 by Chinese court for violating authors' copyrights

Apple will have to pay three Chinese authors a total of $118,000 for stocking their books in its App Store without a proper say-so, according to China Daily. A court ruled that it was Apple's job to verify that third-party uploads met copyright requirements and that it had the means to do so... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2013-04-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Apple iBookstore Leads Brazil’s Ebook Market in 2013

In 2012, Brazil became the latest battleground for the big international ebooksellers. Ebook sales have since skyrocketed, with Apple in the early lead ahead of Amazon. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-04-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A celebration of all things books at USC

L.A. Times Festival of Books: Joyce Carol Oates, Carol Burnett, Lemony Snicket and Jamaica Kincaid are among the 500 authors appearing at this weekend's festival for readers of all ages.Since background-check legislation was voted down in the Senate on Thursday, Adam Winkler, author of... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2013-04-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon Snaps Up Goodreads, A Partner Apple Wanted

This article branches off of a longer story we're tracking called Apple's New Technology Partners: What Developers Need To Know.Steve Jobs once said said, "people don't read anymore." He wasn't the only tech pundit pronouncing books dead in the middle of the last decade, as people turned to... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2013-04-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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There’s No Such Thing as “Normal,” say UK Publishing CEOs

Several UK CEOs set the agenda going into next week's London Book Fair. Top of the list: communicating with consumers and coping with the relentless pace of change in publishing. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-04-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Medium's New Collaborative Publishing Feature Encourages Authors To Create Better Things, Together

Medium's hypothesis has always been that people create better things when they work together. The publishing platform's newest tool helps its authors do just that. Biz Stone and Ev Williams' founding mantra for Medium, the publishing platform they launched last August, was, "People create... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2013-04-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Hearst president David Carey: Apple taught people 'how to buy digital content'

David Carey, president of Hearst Magazines, sat down with AllThingsD's Peter Kafka to kick off Day 2 of D:Dive Into Media here in Dana Point, California, with the interview centering on Carey's take on how digital magazines are working out in a world that seems less and less intrigued by... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2013-02-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Apple adds Breakout Books to the iBookstore to spotlight the self-published

As glad as we are that digital bookstores let authors skip the usual gatekeepers, that doesn't help much if they can't get noticed. Apple is giving those self-publishing writers more of a chance to shine with the launch of a permanent Breakout Books section in the US iBookstore. The section... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2013-02-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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'Record' tablet sales for Apple

Apple sold a "record" 22.9 million iPads during its last quarter but failed to meet... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-01-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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9 Other Things That Harper's Publisher Rick MacArthur Googles

"Try finding Harper's Magazine when you Google "magazines that publish essays" or "magazines that publish short stories" -- it isn't easy." No, Rick, no it's not. Continue reading at The Atlantic

[ The Atlantic | 2013-01-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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In the Future, WIll Libraries Look More Like Apple Stores?

A new library in Texas appears to be normal, until you realize it doesn’t have any books in it. In Bexar County, Texas, the center of the San Antonio metropolitan area’s breakneck growth, a population boom has left some residents without adequate library access. A new initiative will fill... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2013-01-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Rupert Murdoch says Los Angeles Times purchase not a sure thing

Now that Rupert Murdoch is spinning off News Corp.’s publishing properties into a separate company, media observers have identified the Los Angeles Times as a likely target for acquisition. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2013-01-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Apple Soon to Offer 80,000 Japanese-language Ebooks

News out of Japan suggests Apple will launch Japanese-language ebooks in January, with a selection of 80,000 titles from publishers including Kadokawa, Shogakukan, and Kodansha. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-01-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Apple readies iBookstore in Japan, faces fine in China

Apple plans to have 80,000 titles for sale on its iBookstore in Japan within a month,... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-01-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon wins EU ebook pricing battle with Apple and major book publishers

The European Union has accepted an offer from Apple and four major publishers to reduce pricing restrictions on content offered at Amazon and other book-sellers. After being caught out by the EU, we heard that the offer was likely to be adopted last month, and the commission has now confirmed... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2012-12-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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