The United States Department of Justice is taking aim at the world’s most profitable company.
Apple and five of the world’s largest publishers are now in the legal cross-hairs of the federal government.
Today, the DOJ officially filed an antitrust lawsuit against these companies over allegations of e-book price-fixing.
Attorney General Eric Holder said executives said the parties involved conspired to eliminate competition among e-book sellers.
“To effectuate their conspiracy, the publisher defendants teamed up with defendant Apple, which shared the same goal of restraining retail price competition in the sale of e-books,” the lawsuit said.
The five companies named in the lawsuit include Hachette, Harper Collins, Simon & Shuster, Macmillan, and The Penguin Publishing Co. Ltd.
As we understand it, the first three have already reached a settlement with the DOJ.
Apple, Macmillan and Penguin want a fight, or at least that’s what it appears from the lack of a settlement at this point.
