A federal court in New York has come down hard on Apple in a closely watched case over ebook pricing. In a ruling issued Tuesday morning, US District Judge Denise Cote ruled that the company "brilliantly" organized a conspiracy to raise prices and thwart competition.
In a 160-page ruling, Cote points to phone calls, emails and the words of Apple founder Steve Jobs to conclude that the company orchestrated an illegal "scheme" in which five major publishers changed their pricing practices. The court said that the prime target of the conspiracy was Amazon, whose Kindle tablet competes with Apple's iPad, and whose pricing practices infuriated publishers.
And everybody, except Amazon, loses in the long run. Even the consumers that the DOJ are allegedly trying to protect.
Hopefully, Apple wins on appeal.