Publishers in E-Book Antitrust Case File Objection to DOJ's Proposed Punishment for Apple

iBooks.pngThe five book publishers who settled with the U.S. Government in the e-book antitrust case have filed an objection with the court arguing that the Department of Justice's proposed punishments for Apple would violate their settlement agreements from before the trial began, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The DOJ has recommended that the "agency model" deals with publishers be nullified and that Apple require competitors such as Amazon to put direct purchase links to their own e-book stores inside their iOS apps. Some experts have said that Apple could owe as much as $500 million in penalties.

In a court filing Wednesday afternoon, the publishers said that the U.S. Department of Justice's demands on Apple would eliminate the use of the "agency model" for the sale and distribution of e-books for a period of five years, by prohibiting Apple from entering such agreements.

Under the agency model, publishers, rather than Apple, set the retail price for e-books.

"The provisions do not impose any limitation on Apple's pricing behavior at all; rather, under the guise of punishing Apple, they effectively punish the settling defendants by prohibiting agreements with Apple using an agency model," lawyers for the publishers said in papers filed in federal court in Manhattan.

Apple has consistently defended its behavior and called the DOJ's proposal a "draconian and punitive intrusion into Apple's business".

Popular Stories

AirPods Pro 3 Mock Feature

AirPods Pro 3 Just Months Away – Here's What We Know

Friday April 18, 2025 5:16 am PDT by
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...
iphone 16 pro models 1

17 Reasons to Wait for the iPhone 17

Thursday April 17, 2025 4:12 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup. If you skipped the iPhone...
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Triad

Apple's 20th Anniversary iPhone May Finally Go All Screen

Tuesday April 15, 2025 6:31 am PDT by
Apple is preparing a "bold" new iPhone Pro model for the iPhone's 20th anniversary in 2027, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. As part of what's being described as a "major shake-up," Apple is said to be developing a design that makes more extensive use of glass – and this could point directly to the display itself. Here's the case for Apple releasing a truly all-screen iPhone with no...
maxresdefault

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 12 New Features

Sunday April 13, 2025 7:52 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and ...
CarPlay Hero

Apple Releases Wireless CarPlay Fix

Wednesday April 16, 2025 11:28 am PDT by
If you have been experiencing issues with wireless CarPlay in your vehicle lately, it was likely due to a software bug that has now been fixed. Apple released iOS 18.4.1 today, and the update's release notes say it "addresses a rare issue that prevents wireless CarPlay connection in certain vehicles." If wireless CarPlay was acting up for you, updating your iPhone to iOS 18.4.1 should...
iOS 18

iOS 18.5 Includes Only a Few Changes So Far

Monday April 21, 2025 11:00 am PDT by
Apple seeded the third beta of iOS 18.5 to developers today, and so far the software update includes only a few minor changes. The changes are in the Mail and Settings apps. In the Mail app, you can now easily turn off contact photos directly within the app, by tapping on the circle with three dots in the top-right corner. In the Settings app, AppleCare+ coverage information is more...
top stories 2025 04 19

Top Stories: iPhone 17 Pro Rumors, CarPlay Bug Fix, and More

Saturday April 19, 2025 6:00 am PDT by
This week saw rumor updates on the iPhone 17 Pro and next-generation Vision Pro, while a minor iOS 18.4.1 update delivered not just security fixes but also a fix for some CarPlay issues. We also looked ahead at what else is in Apple's pipeline for the rest of 2025 and even the 20th-anniversary iPhone coming in 2027, so read on below for all the details on these stories and more! iPhone 17 ...
ipad air windows 11 arm

M2 iPad Air Runs Windows 11 ARM via Emulation, Thanks to EU Rules

Tuesday April 22, 2025 5:01 am PDT by
A developer has demonstrated Windows 11 ARM running on an M2 iPad Air using emulation, which has become much easier since the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA) regulations came into effect. As spotted by Windows Latest, NTDev shared an instance of the emulation on social media and posted a video on YouTube (embedded below) demonstrating it in action. The achievement relies on new EU regulatory...

Top Rated Comments

stilted Avatar
153 months ago
Wow, now that Amazon has almost completed its task of putting every B&M bookstore out of business, the government steps in to make sure their slash-and-burn business model survives in the digital market as well.
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
69650 Avatar
153 months ago
Don't understand why this case is so hard to solve. All the DoJ have to do is get Apple to remove the clause from their agency agreements that prevents the publishers from selling their eBooks through Amazon at a lower price. If Apple wants to make 30% margin on eBook sales that's fine. If Amazon want to make 5% margin and sell the eBooks much cheaper that's up to them. It's a free market. Ultimately customers will decide who gets their money.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ValSalva Avatar
153 months ago
The publishers aren't really siding with Apple. They are looking out for their best interests. The DOJ prevents Apple from using the agency model. The publishers want the agency model. Apple is almost an unintended beneficiary in this instance.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Glideslope Avatar
153 months ago
"Trust the Government. It worked well for the Indians". ;)
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tigres Avatar
153 months ago
Don't understand why this case is so hard to solve. All the DoJ have to do is get Apple to remove the clause from their agency agreements that prevents the publishers from selling their eBooks through Amazon at a lower price. If Apple wants to make 30% margin on eBook sales that's fine. If Amazon want to make 5% margin and sell the eBooks much cheaper that's up to them. It's a free market. Ultimately customers will decide who gets their money.

Your thinking way to logical.

We need a committee of at least 100 govt workers and a hearing to conclude what you did on a forum in 2 years time.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Ochyandkaren Avatar
153 months ago
Wrong analogy. But It worked well for those who elected said government.

"Trust the Government. It worked well for the Indians". ;)
These days, any government care less about the people.
Fake pundits are there to soothe the people, while the government please corporations.

----------

Wow, now that Amazon has almost completed its task of putting every B&M bookstore out of business, the government steps in to make sure their slash-and-burn business model survives in the digital market as well.

Obama’s guys are in the Amazon’s pocket.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)