New details emerge in Apple e-book lawsuit

Written by

Laura Hazard Owen writing for paidContent:

New York, the District of Columbia and fifteen other states have joined the e-book pricing class action suit against Apple, Macmillan and Penguin, bringing the total number of states involved so far to 31 (if you include DC and Puerto Rico). The amended complaint, released Friday, reveals details that were previously redacted, including an e-mail from Steve Jobs.


  • Obsidian71

    This highlight on collusion is probably only the tip of the Iceberg. 

    • lucascott

      But does this email really prove collusion. Or just that Steve was willing to make a personal attempt to persuade a publisher that wasn’t impressed by Apple sending a second rank man to the job. 

      Apple offered the same terms they use for all their other stores, terms that have existed for a while and might have inspired the publishers to want those types of terms. They might have joined together to try to force Amazon, Barnes and Noble etc to such terms but it doesn’t mean that Apple was party to such plans. 

      The only thing that Apple may have done that was any wrong doing was the Favored Nation clause as it is what put any kind of restriction on pricing. Then again Amazon has the same clause and no one blinks. Nor did they blink at Amazon setting loss leader pricing that no one else could afford to match because they don’t have the CDs, DVDs, tv sets etc to make up the losses. Where were the investigations about possible predatory pricing tactics etc.