Image credit: The Verge
According to Reuters, Apple CEO Tim Cook may testify in the US Department of Justice lawsuit against the company over alleged ebooks price fixing.
In a one-page order, U.S. District Judge Denise Cote on Friday said she will hold a telephone conference on March 13 to consider the government’s request for Cook’s testimony.
Last month it was reported Apple was the lone defendant in the case, as other accused publishers Pearson, Penguin Group, HarperCollins, and Simon & Schuster have already settled with the DoJ last year. The case is taking place in court in New York City.
Court papers reveal the government is not looking to gain monetary damages but rather a judicial decree Apple violated antitrust law. Apple has long stated its opposition to the accusation, noting its position last year:
“The DOJ’s accusation of collusion against Apple is simply not true,” an Apple spokesman told AllThingsD at the time. “The launch of the iBookstore in 2010 fostered innovation and competition, breaking Amazon’s monopolistic grip on the publishing industry. Since then customers have benefited from eBooks that are more interactive and engaging. Just as we’ve allowed developers to set prices on the App Store, publishers set prices on the iBookstore.”
Apple was similarly hit with a class-action lawsuit over the same allegations in Canada, filed last April by a law firm in Vancouver, accusing the company along with the aforementioned publishers as well.
