Apple, Macmillan Prepped to Fight DoJ Lawsuit Over E-Books

[exfileme]

Apple and Macmillan are prepared to fight the Department of Justice over ebook price fixing.

Apple, Macmillan Prepped to Fight DoJ Lawsuit Over E-Books : Read more

 

[jaber2]

Get ready to get some credit for future E-Book purchases soon.

 

[freggo]

"the price increase actually enhanced competition"

True, a healthy profit margin will attract more players.
But the keyword is 'healthy' !
If you start selling e-books for more than the print version you are abusing your position.
Times are bad enough for consumers. Squeezing the last drop of blood out of their wallet to finance fat Manager paychecks is exactly the kind of behavior that will get 'illegal' copying started.

These morons should learn from the failed RIAA business model!

 

[andywork78]

Again???

 

[signothorn]

More companies will be sued like this leading up to November. I'm not saying they aren't guilty and shouldn't be accountable, just expect more of these type of lawsuits in the news leading up to the elections imho.

 

[john_4]

And I thought the San Francisco based Apple (Queen Nancy Pelosi's district) were in bed with the fascist left. Now Apple knows a little how Gibson Guitar feels. Impeach the Kenyan liar.

 

[hoof_hearted]

I wish they would go after wireless carriers. Compared to what Europeans are paying, USA consumers are getting ass-raped.

 

[LuckyDucky7]

This is what started the whole ebook pricing investigation in the first place: a collective action to prevent Amazon from dominating the ebook market by selling virtual books for $9.99 USD and less. As it stands now, the Agency Model puts ebook prices higher than paperbacks, and there's no physical media or actual print publishing involved.

(emphasis added).

Yeah... you're guilty. How about actually competing for a change? It costs less in legal fees.

No wonder all the other publishers are settling out of court- they know it's likely they won't win because the facts are completely against them (plus it's simply the smart thing to do when your nose isn't completely clean).

 

[maestintaolius]

[citation][nom]john_4[/nom]And I thought the San Francisco based Apple (Queen Nancy Pelosi's district) were in bed with the fascist left. Now Apple knows a little how Gibson Guitar feels. Impeach the Kenyan liar.[/citation]
Not sure if Poe...

 

[slabbo]

oh man, i laughed so hard when they pretty much admitted to price fixing and saying that it actually enhanced competition. this should be a really quick open and closed guilty case here. These damned crooks need to the get the maximum sentence plus some, just for being so cocky about it being okay to price fix.

 

[del35]

"Both Apple and Macmillan deny that they colluded to raise prices for digital books"

Apple at its best making nefarious backroom deals in order to steal more and more money from its dumbed down zombies. Die Apple die and take with you all your crap hardware; and please dont forget the retina display that Samsung manufactures for you!

 

[phexac]

oh noes....a shadowy book cartel

 

[wildkitten]

Here's the entire issue that doesn't make sense. How is Apple even involved if it's the publishers price fixing? Apple is the retailer.

And exactly how is the price being fixed? I can understand competing publishers coming together and there being collusion to do so, but not understanding how a retailer they sell their books through can be part of it, especially when there are other retailers.

Yes, it is patently stupid to sell an ebook for more than a physical book because the costs associated with an ebook is less. No paper, no ink, no labor costs to manufacture, no shipping costs, no shelf costs. But only go after the publishers for collusion, if there indeed is some. If the government gets involved with these ebook, and paper book, costs will skyrocket like gas prices are.

 

[Square_Head]

Jesus Christ, if you don't want to pay the price for an ebook, then go by the darn paperback? What's the problem? If you don't want to pay the price for a book, then don't buy it. Nobody is forcing them to buy the books. WTH?

 

[g00fysmiley]

[citation][nom]wildkitten[/nom]Here's the entire issue that doesn't make sense. How is Apple even involved if it's the publishers price fixing? Apple is the retailer.And exactly how is the price being fixed? I can understand competing publishers coming together and there being collusion to do so, but not understanding how a retailer they sell their books through can be part of it, especially when there are other retailers.Yes, it is patently stupid to sell an ebook for more than a physical


[citation][nom]Square_Head[/nom]Jesus Christ, if you don't want to pay the price for an ebook, then go by the darn paperback? What's the problem? If you don't want to pay the price for a book, then don't buy it. Nobody is forcing them to buy the books. WTH?[/citation]
book because the costs associated with an ebook is less. No paper, no ink, no labor costs to manufacture, no shipping costs, no shelf costs. But only go after the publishers for collusion, if there indeed is some. If the government gets involved with these ebook, and paper book, costs will skyrocket like gas prices are.[/citation]

apple basically was at the head of the table in the deal and was getting a % of each book sale reports show up to 30% of the price was going to apple for brokering the deal. besically apple is the top of the price fixing chain, imo they should get the worst punishment

and consumers who had already bought E readers were hurt by the increased price in books. lets say you buy a device marketed to reader and are told at the beginning that you can buy books at a signifigant discount below retail, you spend a few hundred bucks on one of the early models, you buy a few books and as you keep buying books the price suddenly goes over the cost of paperbacks, sure you can switch to paperbacks or even hardbacks but you're still skcrewed on the initial promise of the product you purchased

 

[g00fysmiley]

sorry for citation box fail, I'd fix it if i could edit comments on toms guide >_

 

[Square_Head]

I still don't see the point in hating on a business. They charge what they want to charge. If they want to charge more for the connivence of an e-book, fine. I don't care. There are bigger problems to worry about than f-ing ebooks. Lets talk about college text books... now that is a scam.