iBooksA federal judge has granted class action status to a group of plaintiffs suing Apple over its antitrust collusion with publishers to increase the price of e-books, reports Reuters. The judge, Denise Cote, is the same judge who oversaw the antitrust case against Apple by the U.S. Department of Justice.

Judge Cote has been accused by Apple of overstepping her judicial authority by giving a court-appointed monitor wide authority at Apple to interview and make changes at the company. Apple requested that the lawyer chosen to serve as the monitor be disqualified, saying he had over-stepped his bounds by asking for lawyer-less meetings with key Apple executives and board members. That request was denied at appeal.

U.S. District Judge Denise Cote said the plaintiffs had "more than met their burden" to allow them to sue as a group. She rejected Apple's contentions that the claims were too different from each other, or that some plaintiffs were not harmed because some e-book prices fell.

Some have estimated that Apple could owe as much as $500 million after being found guilty in the Federal antitrust case, with more judgements possible in this class-action suit if the plaintiffs are successful.

This class action suit applies only to consumer plaintiffs in the states where the governments have not already sued Apple. Previously, 33 states and territories sued Apple on behalf of their consumers, seeking more than $800 million in damages.

Top Rated Comments

Ms6boost Avatar
126 months ago
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
gnasher729 Avatar
126 months ago
Oh boy. Get ready for the upset people frothing at the mouths because Apple is getting sued.

Moderators apparently didn't agree with me, but it is a disgusting strategy to preemptively insult everyone who dares having a different point of view than you have.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
CReimer Avatar
126 months ago
This case continues to boggle the mind. Apple and the publishers tries to pre-empt the Amazon monopoly. The federal government sues to preserve the Amazon monopoly. And now everyone is getting free credits as compensation for someone daring to break the Amazon monopoly.

I wouldn't be surprised if IBM wanted their monopoly back. :eek:
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
John.B Avatar
126 months ago
Ah, yes, the bizzaro world of Judge Denise Cote, where the Sherman Act (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherman_Act) is used to grant an ebook monopoly to Amazon.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cylack Avatar
126 months ago
Eliminate class action lawsuits completely. Only the scummy lawyers make money. I get invites to be part of class action lawsuits all the time. Just got notice in the mail the other day that after being sued for 7 years, a company which I used to own shares in settled for $60 million, 33% of which will go to the lawyers. Class action lawsuits just make the price of all products go up. Plaintiffs get a few dollars, maybe a $100 if they are lucky, while scummy lawyers get millions and some even get in the hundreds of millions in jackpot class action lawsuits like tobacco. Lawyers are lower than the lowest form of parasite.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
CReimer Avatar
126 months ago
So it should be legal for companies to collude?

Should it be illegal for companies to break up a monopoly by providing MORE COMPETITION in the market place?

Remember that Amazon had 90% of the ebook market by FORCING the publishers to sell their $15 bestsellers at a LOST for $10. Ninety percent of anything is a monopoly.

Apple and the publishers changed the rule of the game. Amazon now has ~60% of ebook market due to COMPETITION with Apple, Barnes & Noble and many smaller ebook retailers. Publishers can set whatever prices they want for their ebooks.

As a writer and ebook publisher, MORE COMPETITION is a good thing.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)

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