Apple Puts An End To The eBook Antitrust Case….. Sort Of

If you’ve been following Apple’s journey through the courts in relation to being accused of fixing prices on eBooks, you’ll be happy to know it’s come to an end…. Sort of. Here’s what The Globe And Mail had to say:

Apple Inc reached an out-of-court settlement with U.S. states and other complainants in an e-book price-fixing class action lawsuit on Monday, effectively avoiding a trial in which the iPad maker faced more than $800-million in claims.

U.S. District Judge in Manhattan Denise Cote ordered the parties to submit a filing to seek approval of their settlement within 30 days.

That sounds good. Except that there’s a catch. Apple is appealing a decision where they were found guilty of fixing eBook prices. Here’s how that appeal affects this settlement:

Apple is appealing that decision and Monday’s settlement is contingent on the outcome of that appeal.

“As set forth in the memorandum of understanding, any payment to be made by Apple under the settlement agreement will be contingent on the outcome of that appeal,” Steve Berman of Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro, the plaintiffs’ lead lawyer, wrote in a letter to the judge.

Charming. We’ll see how well that works out for Apple.

 

 

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