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Apple asks to go on trial in "inappropriate" ebook price fixing case

o Karen Haslam
20.04.2012 kl 07:08 | Macworld U.K.

Apple’s lawyer Daniel Floyd told the US District Judge preceding over the ebook price fixing case: "Our basic view is that we would like the case to be decided on the merits. We believe that this is not an appropriate case against us and we would like to validate that".

 

An Apple lawyer has revealed that Apple wants to go to trial over claims that it had fixed ebook prices in the iBookstore.

The US government alleges that Apple conspired with book publishers to raise prices of electronic books. According to the lawsuit: "Millions of ebooks that would have sold at retail for $9.99 or for other low prices instead sold for the prices indicated by the price schedules included in the Apple Agency Agreements - generally, $12.99 or $14.99."

Apple's lawyer Daniel Floyd told US District Judge Denise Cote: "Our basic view is that we would like the case to be decided on the merits. We believe that this is not an appropriate case against us and we would like to validate that," reports Reuters.

Apple has already responded to the US Department of Justice's antitrust charges filed against it, suggesting that: "The DOJ's accusation of collusion against Apple is simply not true".

Apple is resting its case on the idea that using the agency model is more competitive than Amazon's model where prices are set by Amazon and books are sold below cost.

Apple spokesman Tom Neumayr told AllThingsD: "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."

The next hearing is scheduled for 22 June.

Keywords: Hardware Systems  Consumer Electronics  
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