Apple Lossless Audio CODEC (ALAC), he is guilty. According to the Manhattan Court of Appeals, which confirms a 2013 ruling, the Cupertino giant has conspired with publishers to raise ebook prices and for this he will have to pay a fine from 450 million dollars, as negotiated last year with 33 US states after the first instance judgment.
"We concluded that the district court's decision that Apple orchestrated a conspiracy with publishers to raise the price of e-books is broadly supported and well founded," the appeals court said. market", violating the Sherman Act, the oldest antitrust law in the United States, which limits monopolies and cartels. The case started with a complaint from the US Justice Department.
The New York Times recalled that Apple's entry into the ebook market has changed the sales procedures by publishers, who have introduced the "agency pricing" model, thanks to which they decide the price, no longer the resellers. This strategy has led Amazon, the market leader, to review its business model, adapting to rising prices.
“The decision confirms that it is illegal for a company to knowingly take part in a conspiracy to fix prices – commented William Baer, assistant to the attorney general of the antitrust division of the US Department of Justice –, whatever his specific role in the conspiracy and whatever the reason for joining”.
Apple replied through the mouth of its spokesman: “Our society did not conspire to fix the price of ebooks - said Josh Rosenstock - we are very disappointed that the Court has not recognized the innovation and choice that the iBooks Store has brought to consumers. While this is a case we want to put behind us, it is a matter of principle and values. We did nothing wrong in 2010 and now we will evaluate the next steps”.
The defeat on ebooks arrives for Cupertino on the day of the launch of the new one Apple Music streaming service.
