Apple named in e-book price-fixing lawsuit

Apple named in e-book price-fixing lawsuit Apple along with a couple of book publishers were accused within the lawsuit today of illegally fixing e-book prices to "boost profits and force e-book rival Amazon to abandon its pro-consumer discount pricing."

The lawsuit (PDF), which were filed today in U.S. District Court in Northern California, alleges Apple, HarperCollins Publishers, Hachette Book Group, Macmillan Publishers, Penguin Group, and Simon & Schuster "colluded to go up prices" on popular books. (Simon & Schuster is owned by CBS. CNET News is published by CBS Interactive, a unit of CBS.)

The lawsuit alleges Apple and the book publishers employed an "agency model" rrn which publishers set the e-book prices, rather than the traditional wholesale model where by publishers set a market price and retailers set their particular sales price.

The plaintiffs, mentioned in the lawsuit as Anthony Petru of Oakland, Calif., and Burberry iPad Mini Case Marcus Mathis of Natchez, Miss., purchased more than one e-book title for $9.99, allegedly paying higher prices by means of the agency model. The lawsuit, contains applied for class action status, seeks restitution and damages to parties in the suit, and as well declarations which the defendants' conduct constituted a conspiracy which the agency Louis Vuitton iPhone 4 Case pricing formula is illegitimate.

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"Fortunately for publishers, they'd a co-conspirator as terrified once they were over Amazon's popularity and costs, and this was Apple," Steve Berman, an attorney for a firm representing the plaintiffs, said at the statement. "We prefer to prove that Apple needed tips to neutralize Amazon'sKindle before its popularity could challenge the upcoming introduction of theiPad, a computer device Apple meant to compete for e-reader."

The Cath Kidston Iphone 5 Case pricing model materialized in 2010 after book publishers asked Amazon to give the money necessary for e-books on its Web presence, but Amazon stood firm in the contention that anything above $9.99 was too high. Amazon eventually relented after many popular Macmillan titles disappeared belonging to the e-tailer's site.

Apple representatives for you to immediately deal with a ask for comment.