The Department of Justice is currently suing Apple over what the agency calls an egregious case of E-book price fixing. Now Apple attorney Orin Snyder is going after the DOJ, calling the agencies allegations “sinister interference” that is based on nebulous evidence.
Snyder also raised concerns over comments by US federal Judge Denise Cote. The federal judge recently said in no uncertain terms that the Department of Justice likely has the evidence needed to prove that Apple is guilty of price fixing.
In arguing Apple’s case Snyder proclaimed:
“When the US government brings a case, many assume it must have merit. But even our government is fallible, and sometimes the government just gets it wrong… Apple did not conspire with any publisher individually, collectively or otherwise to raise industry prices… Apple is going to trial because it did nothing wrong… Every single indicator of market health improved after Apple entered the e-book market.”
Almost immediately after Apple entered the E-book market, prices for sub-$10 books quickly increased. Despite steeper prices, Snyder says the US Department of Justice is trying to “reverse engineer a conspiracy from a market effect.”
Snyder says the DOJ is selectively picking and choosing quotes and documents from Apple personnel which make the company look guilty of E-Book price fixing.
The DOJ accusing Apple of conspiring with publishers to force E-book prices up past a $10 standard Amazon used to prefer.
There is no denying that under Apple’s agreements with major book publishers the same books that use to cost sub-$10 are now priced between $13 to $16 on average.
Snyder’s own comments mirror the message delivered last week by Apple CEO Tim Cook. At the time, Cook says Apple would “stay on message” since “speaking freely could accidentally provide the DoJ with evidence.”
Do you think Apple is “staying on message” to avoid spilling the beans on an Apple created price fixing scandal?
