Publishers Object to Proposed DOJ Punishment for Apple in E-Book Case

Five publishers have lined up and filed objections with the Department of Justice regarding their proposed punishment for Apple in the recent anti-trust iBookstore case.

The ruling found Apple guilty of fixing e-book prices and ultimately forcing the customer to pay higher prices. Apple claims these accusations are simply not true and have indicated they will be appealing the decision.

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.


The DOJs proposed punishment would force Apple to terminate agreements with five publishers, provide for a court-appointed external monitor, and allow competitors to provide links from their e-book apps to their e-bookstore.

The publishers claim that the provisions of the proposal would actually punish them instead of Apple.

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