As 17 more states join class action against book publishers and Apple, new details revealed

New York, the District of Columbia and fifteen other states have joined the e-book pricing class action suit against Apple, Macmillan and Penguin, bringing the total number of states involved so far to 31 (if you include DC and Puerto Rico). The amended complaint, released May 11, reveals details that were previously redacted, including an e-mail from Steve Jobs. The states’ class action suit, which was filed the same day as the Department of Justice’s lawsuit, alleges that Apple and book publishers conspired to set e-book prices. Unlike the DOJ, the states seek monetary restitution for consumers. (They have already reached a settlement with Hachette, Simon & Schuster and HarperCollins.) The states’ amended complaint makes public information that was redacted from the version filed in April. (It’s not clear why the information was originally redacted.) Much of the now-public information is duplicated in the Department of Justice filing against Apple and publishers, but some of it is new, including an e-mail from Steve Jobs.