Apple Guilty of Antitrust Violations

A District Court Judge has ruled in favor of the US Department of Justice in its antitrust suit against Apple, Inc.  According to the ruling, Apple conspired with publishers to illegally raise the price of ebooks beginning in 2010 when Apple was eager to become an ebook retailer with the launch of the iPad.  Along with Apple, the suit originally named five publishers as well: Penguin, HarperCollins, Hachette, Simon and Schuster, and Macmillan.  All five publishers previously settled out of court, agreeing to reimburse customers $164 million in overcharges for ebooks.  Apple was the only defendant who went to trial with the Department of Justice, and even after this loss, Apple has said that they plan to appeal the decision.  Suits by the Attorneys General of individual States against Apple and the publishers have yet to be decided.

Further coverage of the decision can be found at the following websites:

Ars Technica

Forbes

Paid Content

Wall Street Journal

The full ruling can be read here.

Shelia

Holiday eReader and Mobile Device Sample

Holiday eReader and Mobile Device Sample
Wanting to purchase an ereader or other type of device for reading books but don't know what to purchase? Join us and sample some of the most popular ereaders such as Kindle Touch, Kindle, Kindle Fire or Nook Color, Nook Tablet, Nook as well as Sony Wifi and other types of devices such Android Tablet Acer Iconia, iPad, and iPod. This class is designed to provide participants with hands-on learning using the most popular ereaders and mobile devices and the Ohio eBook Project for downloading library digital materials.

Walk in's welcomed!

Locations:

Monday, November 19^th from 6-7:30 pm

Jackson Branch

7487 Fulton Dr. NW
Massillon, OH 44646
330.833.1010

 

Tuesday, December 11^th from 6-7:30 pm
Lake Branch
11955 Market Ave. North

Uniontown, OH 44685

330.877.9975

Thursday, December 13^th from 2-3:30 pm

North Branch

189 25th Str. NW
Canton, OH 44709

330.456.4356 

Registration is optional.

Deleting Multiple Tabs on a Kindle Fire

Hi Everyone,
A question asked today involved deleting multiple tabs on a Kindle Fire.  Many times we open multiple tabs as we are browsing the Internet.  You can close them one at a time by tapping on the X found on the tab.  But if you open more than a few you may want to close them all at once.

To close all tabs at once:
1. If not already opened, open the web browser on your Kindle Fire.
2. If not already opened, tap on the window that has the multiple tabs.
3. On the far left-hand side of the Tab bar, tap and hold.

Kindle Fire Tab bar with multiple tabs open.  To open a new tab, tap the plus sign.

 

4. A pop-up box will appear.

Pop-up box for closing tabs on a Kindle Fire.

5. Tap the Close all tabs option and all of the tabs will close at once.



Give it a try!
Dee

Anti-Trust Update

Several questions come to mind with the announcement that Apple Inc. and five publishers have been sued for anti-trust violations on the pricing of e-books.  The one most people will be asking themselves is “What does this mean for me?”  Apple and two publishers, Macmillan and Penguin, have refused to settle and pledge to go to trial, with the next court date set for June 22.  However, three publishers (Simon and Schuster, Hachette, and HarperCollins) have already settled with the Department of Justice and 16 States Attorney Generals (including Ohio).  Assuming the settlements are approved, the publishers must renegotiate their contracts with Apple, as well as other e-book retailers, following the 60 day comment period and the termination of existing contracts.  This means that nothing will likely change until June at the earliest as far as the pricing of e-books is concerned.  At that time, the new contracts the three publishers who have settled make with retailers such as Amazon could allow for steep discounting any even bundling (Buy One, Get One, for example).  But there will be limits on how inexpensively retailers will be able to sell e-books, because they will not be permitted to set the prices so low that the publisher’s catalog is sold at a loss.  In other words, the new contracts can “prevent e-book retailers from cumulatively selling that Settling Defendant’s e-books at a loss over the period of the contract.” (Full text of the case filed.)  

Another question is how will the settlements and future litigation affect libraries?  As of now, not at all.  The settlements that have already been reached apply only to individual people, not business or libraries.  However, a Seattle Law firm, Hagen Bermans, is still pursuing the possibility of a class action suit that could include business and libraries. But because state action supersedes private class action suits, if all 50 states become involved in anti-trust cases and settlements, which is a possibility, the class action may not be able to go forward.  

Publishers and Apple Inc Being Sued for Anti-Trust Violations

The past two days have seen some real shake ups in the e-book market.  Yesterday, it was reported that the “Big Six” publishers—HarperCollins, Random House, Hachette, Simon & Schuster, Penguin, and Macmillan—are refusing to sign new contracts with Amazon.  The online bookseller is looking to increase the co-op promotional fees (money the publishers pay a bookseller to promote their titles), and publishers are refusing to sign on to the increase.

Perhaps even more significant is the anti-trust suit filed today by the US Department of Justice against Apple Inc and five of the Big Six publishers, HarperCollins, Hachette, Simon & Schuster, Penguin, and Macmillan.  The claim is that the publishers colluded amongst themselves and with Apple to set e-book prices.  In anticipation of the launch of the iPad in 2010, publishers started using the agency model in 2009 when selling their books to e-book retailers.  In the agency model, publishers set the price of books and the retailer takes a percentage (usually 30%) cut of the sale.  This differs from the traditional wholesale model where publishers would sell books to retailers who would then set whatever price they wanted.

In his letter supporting the publishers, President of the Authors Guild, Scott Turow, explains the benefits of the agency model: “Two years after the agency model came to bookselling, Amazon is losing its chokehold on the e-book market: its share has fallen from about 90% to roughly 60%. Customers are benefiting from the surprisingly innovative e-readers Barnes & Noble's investments have delivered, including a tablet device that beat Amazon to the market by fully twelve months.  Brick-and-mortar bookstores are starting to compete through their partnership with Google, so loyal customers can buy e-books from them at the same price as they would from Amazon.  Direct-selling authors have also benefited, as Amazon more than doubled its royalty rates in the face of competition.”

However, Attorney General Eric Holder sees the publishers’ business model differently.  He cites secret business luncheons attended by publishers to discuss fixing the prices of e-books.  “As a result of this alleged conspiracy, we believe that consumers paid millions of dollars more for some of the most popular titles,” he said.

In addition to the federal suit, 16 states, including Ohio, have also filed their own anti-trust suits against publishers.  Several settlements have already been reached at both the federal and state levels, but Apple, Macmillan, and Penguin insist they will keep fighting the charges in court.

Find more about the anti-trust suits at these sites:

http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2012/04/doj-terms-settlement-ebook/

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-57412452-38/doj-announces-three-e-book-settlements-but-not-with-apple/?tag=breaking