EU: Final publisher ends ebook dispute with Commission

Book publisher Penguin has become the fifth and final publisher to give-in to the European Commission’s request to end most-favorite nation contracts with Apple Inc. The policy raised concerns within the Commission due to the fact it resulted in Apple’s rivals blocked from selling ebooks at lower prices. But in the latest development of the saga, Penguin’s parent company Pearson has reportedly told the Commission that those most-favored nation clauses will be terminated. Similar agreements were offered to the Commission by Apple as well as other ebook publishers, including HarperCollins and Macmillan, last fall. According to reports, if this final offer is agreed upon by all parties, it will effectively end a business model that launched Apple into the ebooks market. A similar case among publishers and Apple remains pending with US authorities, with only Apple left to reach an agreement; that trial is set to occur in June.

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