A PYMNTS Company

US: As ebooks case nears end, has DOJ already lost?

By  |  June 21, 2013

As the ebooks trial, initiated by the US Department of Justice against Apple Inc. over suspicions the tech giant conspired to fix ebooks prices, nears its final stretch, the latest developments in the case could suggest that the DOJ has already lost its fight. According to reports, book retailer Barnes & Noble, which offered its testimony in the case yesterday, blew a major hole through the DOJ’s case as B&N Vice President of Digital Content Theresa Horner testified the company had already been negotiating pricing details with ebooks publishers well before Apple entered the market. Those negotiations, said Horner, were the retailer’s efforts to cut losses the store was suffering thanks to rivals like Amazon. The testimony largely refutes the DOJ’s case that Apple was the “ringleader” in such pricing negotiations to force retailers to use the agency pricing model. As the case nears its end, speculation mounts that the DOJ will be defeated. The case is scheduled to wrap up by the end of this week.

    Get the Full Story

    Complete the form to unlock this article and enjoy unlimited free access to all PYMNTS content — no additional logins required.

    Subscribe to our daily newsletter, PYMNTS Today.

    By completing this form, you agree to receive marketing communications from PYMNTS and to the sharing of your information with our sponsor, if applicable, in accordance with our Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions.

    Full Content: The Washington Post and The Mac Observer

    We’d love to be your preferred source for news.

    Please add us to your preferred sources list so our news, data and interviews show up in your feed. Thanks!

    Add as Preferred Source

    Want more news? Subscribe to CPI’s free daily newsletter for more headlines and updates on antitrust developments around the world.