The U.S. Department of Justice recently accused Apple of conspiring with book publishers to thwart Amazon’s power over eBook pricing. Today Apple has responded saying that “the DOJ’s accusation of collusion against Apple is simply not true.”
Apple spokesman Tom Neumayr in an official statement to AllThingsD:
The DOJ’s accusation of collusion against Apple is simply not true. 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.
Penguin Group, MacMillan, HarperCollins, Hachette, and Simon & Schuster are all included publishers in the DOJ’s claim of collusion. Experts agree that Apple will likely be acquitted of any antitrust charges.