The U.s. department of justice is investigating alleged agreements between e-bookuitgevers, where Apple may have helped. Previously announced the EU is already on such an investigation in motion.
A spokesman for the U.s. department of justice ordered the newspaper LA Times to know that there is research being done to the e-bookindustrie, but wanted no details lost. The American prosecution would be in the states of Texas and Connecticut in an investigation into how providers of electronic books, their prices, and what role companies like Apple and Amazon play.
Previously, the EU announced that the European Commission open an inquiry to several major publishers, such as the French Hachette Livre, the American Harper Collins, the Uk’s Penguin and the German Verlagsgruppe Georg von Holzbrinck. Also in Europe the role of Apple investigated, but Amazon was not named.
The decision of the EU came after the march raids were done by the involved parties. Now the European Commission wants clarity on the existence of price-fixing and cartels, but there is no term called waaarbinnen a ruling is expected. Neither is known what the consequences for companies like Apple and Amazon.