CFA's Cooper: Trial of Apple/Publishers Might Be Beneficial

The Consumer Federation of America said it almost hoped Apple and the two publishers that did not settle with the Department of Justice over allegations of e-book price fixing.

The complaint and lawsuit filed today by the Department of Justice confirms our worst fears," said CFA director of research Mark Cooper. He said the reasons the spotlight of a trial might be useful were that Justice would almost certainly win, that it would help demonstrate why digital disintermediation is pro-consumer, an argument that CFA has made for remaking video delivery models online, and because it will illustrate the importance of antitrust laws in insuring competition in the new digital economy.