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PoliticAverse

(26,366 posts)
Mon Mar 7, 2016, 01:54 PM Mar 2016

Supreme Court rejects Apple e-books price-fixing appeal

Source: Reuters

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear Apple Inc's challenge to an appellate court decision that it conspired with five publishers to increase e-book prices, meaning it will have to pay $450 million as part of a settlement.

The court's decision not to hear the case leaves in place a June 2015 ruling by the New York-based 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that favored the U.S. Department of Justice and found Apple (AAPL.O) liable for engaging in a conspiracy that violated federal antitrust laws.

Apple, in its petition asking the high court to hear the case, said the June decision by the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York upholding a judge's ruling that Apple had conspired with the publishers contradicted Supreme Court precedent and would "chill innovation and risk-taking."

The 2nd Circuit's ruling followed a 2013 decision by U.S. District Judge Denise Cote after a non-jury trial that Apple played a "central role" in a conspiracy with publishers to eliminate retail price competition and raise e-book prices.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-court-ebooks-idUSKCN0W91LQ

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Supreme Court rejects Apple e-books price-fixing appeal (Original Post) PoliticAverse Mar 2016 OP
Amazon's monopoly wins. nt onehandle Mar 2016 #1
Double think much.... phazed0 Mar 2016 #2
Yeah. Dr. Strange Mar 2016 #3
 

phazed0

(745 posts)
2. Double think much....
Mon Mar 7, 2016, 03:20 PM
Mar 2016

Amazon wasn't the one fixing prices, Apple was.

Publishers that the Justice Department said conspired with Apple include Lagardere SCA's (LAGA.PA) Hachette Book Group Inc, News Corp's (NWSA.O) HarperCollins Publishers LLC, Penguin Group Inc, CBS Corp's (CBS.N) Simon & Schuster Inc and Verlagsgruppe Georg von Holtzbrinck GmbH's Macmillan.


Was that "Amazon" or "Apple" that conspired together?

Apple and the publishers agreed on an arrangement in which Apple would get a 30 percent commission and publishers were allowed to set the prices for their books, a tactic known as "agency pricing" that prevents discounting.

The publishers also agreed they would charge all outlets the same amount, meaning Amazon was forced to raise its prices. E-books that had cost $9.99 suddenly cost $12.99 or $14.99.


Oh great, the entirety of the extra 30% goes right to Apple, while others do not get a commission.

Seems like Apple's "monopoly" lost.
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