“The United States Department of Justice has described Apple’s defense against allegations that it conspired to illegally fix e-book prices ‘unconvincing’ and ‘untethered from both precedent and logic,'” John Paczkowski reports for AllThingsD.
“Evidently, Apple feels much the same way about the DOJ’s charges,” Paczkowski reports. “In an 81-page April 26 filing that was made public today, Apple pointedly denied federal prosecutors’ accusations, saying the discussions they’ve painted as collusion were simply tough business negotiations and that their end result — an ‘agency’ e-book pricing model where publishers, not retailers, set prices — made the e-book market more competitive, not less.”
Paczkowski reports, “‘Apple did not conspire to fix e-book prices,”’ the company said in its filing. ‘The evidence proves that Apple acted independently, to further its own legitimate business goals, in negotiating agency agreements with the publishers to enter the e-book market.'”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Killing real competition for the appearance of competition is just plain stupid.
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Of course! Apple is exactly right. The DOJ has this so completely wrong it might be funny if weren’t happening to Apple. Amazon is the ones SETTING PRICES. Apple simply wanted the manufacturer (publisher) to set their own prices, from which Apple got a commission from each sale. THIS IS NORMAL BUSINESS PRACTICE. I can’t believe weak-kneed publishers that wilted under DOJ threats and made deals. I call it extortion on the DOJ’s part. I hope Apple takes this as far as it needs to go to prove those DOJ buffoons overreached.
“Killing real competition for the appearance of competition is just plain stupid.” Than explain Blackberry. Some of the comments here on BB related articles is just FUD against Blackberry. I understand bashing Windblowz Phoney and AndyBot OS, but Blackberry actually seems like legit competition. They have been in the smartphone business longer than Apple, and I feel that they have a quality product.
Too true, its MDN’s petty vendetta against a legit market force that are leading the amateurs in the final hour. Oh wait…!
I have a Blackberry and it sucks. No FUD. It’s a work phone used off calls, email and text. It’s. near worthless for the web and forget the BB App Store. It is worthless.
And who was behind DOJ’s attack on Apple? When does government step in and tell legitimate business what it can and cannot sell? With liberals on its board of directors, you’d think Apple would be immune from such blatant attacks. Perhaps it didn’t provide enough bribes/fees/funds to certain politicians or the POTUS didn’t like Steve Job’s discussion and sent his legal eagles to further punish Apple Corporation – as he has done so far with others who “disagreed” with him?
Exactly! That is what I keep telling everyone! The DoJ, (and any government agency really) isn’t here for our personal good, but here to take away our freedom “in the name of freedom”. The founding fathers would be ashamed if they saw what our country is like nowdays.
For sure!!! And people like Mitt Romney and Bush really care about us.
Only a fool would think ANY politician truly cares about you. “My fellow Americans” are just faceless hordes to them.
Q: When does the government step in and tell business what it can and cannot sell?
A: Forever. It is nothing new.
Get your new hats! Sale on tin foil! Get your new hats!
No MDN. Clueless people who say low prices are goal and are only result of competition, without regard to unfair practices of huge retailers who take products overseas to have copied intellectual property rights be damned. It’s all in the cause of lower prices so its all good. And just in case that’s not enough throw in some FUD about USA being poor quality high cost manufacturer and there you have Walmart and Amazon strategy to dupe American consumers.
I’m with Apple on this.