Apple isn’t about to settle with the Justice Department over its antitrust lawsuit accusing Apple and e-book publishers of price-fixing. Finally responding to the government’s complaint, filed Tuesday, Apple gave the following defiant statement to All Things D.
The DOJ’s accusation of collusion against Apple is simply not true. The launch of the iBookstore in 2010 fostered innovation and competition, breaking Amazon’s monopolistic grip on the publishing industry. Since then customers have benefited from eBooks that are more interactive and engaging. Just as we’ve allowed developers to set prices on the App Store, publishers set prices on the iBookstore.
Apple joins two other publishers accused of price collusion, Macmillan and Penguin, in fighting the lawsuit. Three other publishers accused of conspiring with Apple — Hachette, Simon & Schuster and Harper Collins — have agreed to a settlement with the government, which forces them to tear-up their existing agreement with Apple and implement a new one.
