Apple Asks U.S. Supreme Court to Overturn Guilty Verdict in E-Books Antitrust Case

ibooks-iconApple is asking the United States Supreme Court to overturn the 2013 U.S. Appellate Court ruling that found the company guilty of conspiring with publishers to inflate the prices of e-books, reports Reuters.

Apple's petition comes following the loss of a June appeal where the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit upheld the guilty verdict and maintained Apple violated antitrust laws and colluded with five publishers - HarperCollins, Simon and Schuster, Hachette Book Group, Macmillan, and Penguin - to fix e-book prices and unreasonably restrain trade.

Apple in its petition said the June decision by the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York contradicted Supreme Court precedent and would "chill innovation and risktaking."

"The Second Circuit's decision will harm competition and the national economy," Apple wrote.

Should the U.S. Supreme Court uphold the lower court's verdict, Apple will be forced to pay $450 million as part of a settlement with class action lawyers and state district attorneys, with $400 million of that amount earmarked for consumers. Apple reached the settlement in June of 2014 to avoid a lengthy damages trial, but the payout hinged on the outcome of the company's appeal.

Though Apple was found guilty, the company has maintained its innocence throughout the dispute. In its appeal, Apple said its efforts "kick-started competition" to deliver "higher output, lower price levels, and accelerated innovation."

Popular Stories

New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18

18 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18.2

Wednesday November 13, 2024 2:09 am PST by
Apple is set to release iOS 18.2 next month, bringing the second round of Apple Intelligence features to iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 models. This update brings several major advancements to Apple's AI integration, including completely new image generation tools and a range of Visual Intelligence-based enhancements. There are a handful of new non-AI related feature controls incoming as well....
airtag purple

New AirTag Rumored to Launch in Mid-2025 With These 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....
M4 MacBook Pros Thumb

M4 MacBook Pro Uses Quantum Dot Display Technology

Thursday November 14, 2024 4:19 pm PST by
The M4 MacBook Pro models feature quantum dot display technology, according to display analyst Ross Young. Apple used a quantum dot film instead of a red KSF phosphor film, a change that provides more vibrant, accurate color results. Young says that Apple has opted for KSF for prior MacBook Pro models because it doesn't use toxic element cadmium (typical for quantum dot) and is more...
iCloud General Feature

Apple Acknowledges iCloud Notes Disappearing and Explains How to Fix

Saturday November 16, 2024 9:45 am PST by
Earlier this month, we reported about some iPhone users temporarily losing all of their notes in the Notes app after accepting Apple's updated iCloud terms and conditions. Apple has now indirectly acknowledged this issue in a new support document that outlines steps to follow if your iCloud notes are not appearing on your iPhone, iPad, or Vision Pro. Fortunately, the notes can be re-synced...
iPhone XS Max Black Background

Apple Adds iPhone XS Max and More to Vintage/Obsolete Product Lists

Friday November 15, 2024 8:09 am PST by
Apple today added a few older iPhone and Apple Watch models to the vintage and obsolete products list on its website. Apple has now classified the iPhone 6s Plus and iPhone XS Max as "vintage" worldwide. Apple considers a device to be "vintage" once five years have passed since the company stopped distributing it for sale. Apple and Apple Authorized Service Providers sometimes offer repairs...

Top Rated Comments

LordVic Avatar
118 months ago
If I get charged with running a red light, can I revisit the case and ask that my conviction be overturned?
actually... yes.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Lazy Avatar
118 months ago

You lost Apple, deal with it.
That's what they're doing: they're appealing.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
thasan Avatar
118 months ago
I never understood how apple got into trouble but Amazon got away with it screwing publishers and ultimately strangling the market..
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
LordVic Avatar
118 months ago
How exactly did Amazon screw the publishers?
Amazon has been accused in the past of a few things. From Predatory pricing in order to drive other business out of the market to essentially holding publishers "hostage" by refusing to sell their materials without agreeing to their heavily Amazon sided contracts, abusing their near digital monopoly on e-book sales.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
thasan Avatar
118 months ago
How exactly did Amazon screw the publishers?
Price? They are so big they can demand any price and publishers had little choice.. Isn't it?. Much like the British supermarkets doing to the milk producers in U.K. ..
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
LordVic Avatar
118 months ago
I never understood how apple got into trouble but Amazon got away with it screwing publishers and ultimately strangling the market..
I agree.

not that I want Apple to "get away" with it and to win their appeal

But Amazon needs to be held to the same legal standards.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)