Apple, Publishers Sued Over E-book Price Hike

The United State Department of Justice has filed a civil anti-trust suit against Apple and the country’s largest book publishers, accusing the companies of colluding to raise the price of e-books.

The anti-trust suit was filed against Apple and several book publishers, including Hachette Book Group, HarperCollins, Penguin, MacMillan, and Simon & Schuster. Three of the publishers have agreed to a settlement, while the Justice Department will continue to litigate against Apple and the two publishers, Macmillan and Penguin.

According to the lawsuit, the companies worked together to limit e-book price competition, which led to consumers paying tens of millions of dollars more for e-books.

Ellen Bloom, the director of federal policy at Consumers Union, the policy and advocacy arm of Consumer Reports, said the Justice Department’s action ensures that you pay a fair price for the e-books you purchase.

“The arrangement between Apple and publishers appears to have seriously hurt competition and left consumers paying more for e-books. This anti-trust suit would put a stop to this practice,” he said.

—Henry Ojelu