The European Commission has started a study of the marktbelemmerende practices of a large number of publishers of e-books. Apple has the parties hereto may have helped. The research must show whether eu rules are breached.
The European Commission will in particular investigate whether the publishers and Apple illegal appointments have made or been concerned with practices which the competition in the EU has hindered. It involves, among others, to the French publisher Hachette Livre, the American Harper Collins, the Uk’s Penguin and the German company Verlagsgruppe Georg von Holzbrinck.
The commission suspects the publishers of cartels and other infringements of the competition rules of the EU. The EU had earlier suspicions of cartel by the companies, but considers a research now as a priority. The decision comes after The European Commission’s raids involved parties in several member states, did, in march of this year. Unknown is how long the research will take and what the consequences for Apple. The possible involvement of Apple, if helping hand is not further specified.