Apple colluded on e-book prices, judge finds

A year after the government accused Apple of conspiring with the major book publishers to raise e-book pricing when it launched the iPad in 2010, a federal judge also stated that Apple played a "central role" in the price- fixing conspiracy.

"Apple chose to join forces with the publisher defendants to raise e-book prices and equipped them with the means to do so," judge Denise Cote said in a 159-page decision. "Without Apple's orchestration of this conspiracy, it would not have succeeded as it did."

"Apple did not conspire to fix e-book pricing and we will continue to fight against these false accusations," Tom Neumayr, an Apple spokesman, said. "When we introduced the iBookstore in 2010, we gave customers more choice, injecting much needed innovation and competition into the market, breaking Amazon's monopolistic grip on the publishing industry."

Apple's battle with the Justice Department is far from over, because antitrust trials are typically two- or three-round fights. The next step of the trial will involve a hearing on damages and relief.

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