Apple E-Book Antitrust Monitoring May End After Rocky Course

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The US Justice Department said it’s satisfied Apple put in place reforms to comply with antitrust laws even though it fought with a monitor appointed to oversee its sale of electronic books. The government recommended that the monitoring not be extended. In a letter to the Manhattan federal judge who found in 2013 that Apple illegally conspired with publishers to set e-book prices, the Justice Department said Apple has “now implemented meaningful antitrust policies, procedures, and training programs that were obviously lacking at the time Apple participated in and facilitated the horizontal price-fixing conspiracy found by this court.”

The Justice Department said Apple “never embraced a cooperative working relationship with the monitor.” Apple acknowledged its relationship with the monitor was “rocky at times,” but disagreed that it wasn’t willing to cooperate. Apple said in the joint letter to US District Judge Denise Cote that it’s committed to fulfilling its obligations, including training, antitrust risk assessment and audits. “Over the past two years, Apple has developed and implemented a comprehensive, engaging, and effective antitrust compliance program,” the company said.


Apple E-Book Antitrust Monitoring May End After Rocky Course