Apple Heads to Court in E-Book Appeal

When Apple entered the electronic-books market in 2010, founder Steve Jobs described its pricing agreements with publishers as an “Aikido move” against competitor Amazon. A federal judge called them something else: price-fixing.

On Dec 15, the Second US Circuit Court of Appeals is scheduled to consider whether the deals amounted to a deft market maneuver or an illegal conspiracy. The ruling that follows could have ramifications far beyond the publishing industry by revealing “what kind of proof shows a conspiracy between manufacturers and a powerful distributor,” said Harry First, a law professor at New York University. “This is a broad problem that many industries face. It’s not just Apple,” First said.