Google Executive's Testimony Weakens Justice Department's Case Against Apple in E-Book Price Fixing Trial

ibooks_icon.jpgJust days after the U.S. Department of Justice presented its opening arguments against Apple in the antitrust e-book price fixing suit filed filed against Apple last April, the DoJ called Google's director of strategic partnerships Thomas Turvey to add credibility to its allegation, reports The Verge.

According to The Verge's Greg Sandoval, Apple's lead attorney Orin Snyder began "attacking" Turvey's story, eventually getting him to admit, under oath, that his lawyer helped him draft the statement he filed with the court. He also admitted that he couldn't remember whether he or his lawyer had written the important passages in his statement.

Sandoval says that Snyder was able to further weaken Turvey's testimony shortly after that, questioning the details of his statement:

Under Snyder's questioning, Turvey acknowledged that he couldn't remember a single name of any of the publishing executives who had told him Apple was the reason the publishers were switching their business model. He conceded that the publisher's move to the agency system was important to Google's own business, yet Turvey couldn't remember any details about the conversations with publishers. By the end of the interview Turvey had gone from saying the publishers had told him directly, to saying they had merely told people on his team, to finally saying the publishers had "likely" told someone on his team.

Sandoval notes that before today's witness testimony, much of the trial had been going the government's way and that the DoJ appeared to want Apple rival Google, which is not as significant a player in the e-book market as Amazon or Apple, to "pile on" Apple.

Turvey will return to the witness stand on Monday, with the trial set to last two more weeks. Apple's Eddy Cue is expected to testify on June 13.  Apple has consistently defended itself and has said the allegations are "simply not true."

Popular Stories

iPhone SE 4 Thumb 1

iPhone SE 4 With Apple's Own 5G Modem 'Confirmed' to Launch in March

Tuesday November 19, 2024 12:12 pm PST by
Barclays analyst Tom O'Malley and his colleagues recently traveled to Asia to meet with various electronics manufacturers and suppliers. In a research note this week, outlining key takeaways from the trip, the analysts said they have "confirmed" that a fourth-generation iPhone SE with an Apple-designed 5G modem is slated to launch towards the end of the first quarter next year. In line with previo...
airtag purple

AirTag 2 Rumored to Launch Next Year With These New Features

Sunday November 17, 2024 5:18 am PST by
Apple released the AirTag in April 2021, so it is now three over and a half years old. While the AirTag has not received any hardware updates since then, a new version of the item tracking accessory is rumored to be in development. Below, we recap rumors about a second-generation AirTag. Timing Apple is aiming to release a new AirTag in mid-2025, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman....
Magic Mouse Next to Keyboard

No, Apple CEO Tim Cook Didn't Say He Prefers Logitech's MX Master 3 Over the Magic Mouse

Sunday November 17, 2024 3:03 pm PST by
While the Logitech MX Master 3 is a terrific mouse for the Mac, reports claiming that Apple CEO Tim Cook prefers that mouse over the Magic Mouse are false. The Wall Street Journal last month published an interview with Cook, in which he said he uses every Apple product every day. Soon after, The Verge's Wes Davis attempted to replicate using every Apple product in a single day. During that...
Generic iOS 18 Feature Real Mock

Apple Releases iOS 18.1.1 and iPadOS 18.1.1 With Security Fixes

Tuesday November 19, 2024 10:10 am PST by
Apple today released iOS 18.1.1 and iPadOS 18.1.1, minor updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating systems that debuted earlier in September. iOS 18.1.1 and iPadOS 18.1.1 come three weeks after the launch of iOS 18.1. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. Apple has also released iOS 17.7.2 for...
at t turbo indicator iphone 16 pro max v0 8hrh7w5f3w1e1

AT&T Turbo Indicator Showing Up in iPhone Status Bar for Subscribers

Wednesday November 20, 2024 3:42 am PST by
AT&T has begun displaying "Turbo" in the iPhone carrier label for customers subscribed to its premium network prioritization service, according to reports on Reddit. The new indicator seems to have started appearing after users updated to iOS 18.1.1, but that could be just coincidence. Image credit: Reddit user No_Highlight7476 The Turbo feature provides enhanced network performance through ...
iPhone 17 Slim Feature Single Camera 1 Redux

'iPhone 17 Air' Rumored to Surpass iPhone 6 as Thinnest iPhone Ever

Monday November 18, 2024 1:07 pm PST by
In a research note with Hong Kong-based investment bank Haitong today, obtained by MacRumors, Apple analyst Jeff Pu said he agrees with a recent rumor claiming that the so-called "iPhone 17 Air" will be around 6mm thick. "We agreed with the recent chatter of an 6mm thickness ultra-slim design of the iPhone 17 Slim model," he wrote. If that measurement proves to be accurate, there would be ...
bug security vulnerability issue fix larry

Make Sure to Update: iOS 18.1.1 and macOS Sequoia 15.1.1 Fix Actively Exploited Vulnerabilities

Tuesday November 19, 2024 10:52 am PST by
The iOS 18.1.1, iPadOS 18.1.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1.1 updates that Apple released today address JavaScriptCore and WebKit vulnerabilities that Apple says have been actively exploited on some devices. With the JavaScriptCore vulnerability, processing maliciously crafted web content could lead to arbitrary code execution. The WebKit vulnerability had the same issue with maliciously crafted...

Top Rated Comments

HiRez Avatar
150 months ago
Worst witness ever? Should have kept him on the stand another 10 minutes, he would have said it was all Google's idea in the first place.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
pirg Avatar
150 months ago
Good old google, continuing to do no evil
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Renzatic Avatar
150 months ago
"Mr. Turvey, is it true you suffer from severe retrograde amnesia"?

"I think so. At least that's what they tell me. The doctors, I mean".

"Okay. Thank you for being honest. So now that that's out of the way, can you, in your own words, explain to me exactly who was present and what was said in Jeff Bezos' boathouse on the 8th of September, 2010"?

"OH MY GOD! I'M IN COURT! WHAT AM I DOING IN COURT? IS THIS THE DEAD PROSTITUTE THING AGAIN? THEY SAID I WAS ACQUITTED! THE DOCTORS, I MEAN! I HAVE SEVERE RETROGRADE AMNESIA"!
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jakebot Avatar
150 months ago
Good Lawyer.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Nunyabinez Avatar
150 months ago
As for eBooks, I would rather have a paper copy most of the time. Besides, these days, a physical copy is cheaper.

Except I don't really read much anyways.. But when I do, I like paper and ink.

Yes, since you don't do much reading, a hard copy is probably better for you. For someone who reads a lot, it can be quite a hassle dragging books around with you. Not to mention that you can't easily search a hard copy.

I collect leather-bound books (Easton Press) and I love a beautiful book. But, ebooks have many advantages these days, not the least of which is that I don't have to go to a store to get it.

I also teach at a University and try to make an ebook version of my texts available. Kind of sad seeing some student walking with a huge backpack that looks like they could tip over at any moment.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mac21ND Avatar
150 months ago
Dude got it handed to him.

From CNET:

"You can't recall the single name of anyone at a single publisher?" Apple lawyer Snyder asked.

"No," Turvey said, which became a common response.

Also from the story:

...At one point, Snyder got Turvey to admit he didn't know if he or his attorney had written certain segments of his declaration...

Duh!

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-57588145-37/apple-hammers-google-witness-hard-in-e-book-pricing-trial/
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)