In the antitrust lawsuit that was filed last week, it was alleged that Apple conspired with publishers to keep eBook prices high. For publishers and Apple, the benefits are easy to see. No one gets undercut because the prices are set by contracts.
But for anyone trying to eke out a place in the eBook market, like Amazon with its book store and Kindle eReaders, it left them with few tools to level the playing field.
From the CBC story:
In the lawsuits, U.S. justice officials allege that, as Apple's iPad tablet approached the market, publishers colluded with their competitors and the tech powerhouse to set a higher norm ($14.99 US) and generally raise e-book prices.
What the lawsuit means to consumers, though, is that you can expect to see a far lower standard price for eBooks than the $15-30 pricing we're seeing now.
What that means for Apple and the publishers named in the suit – – is a bit less consumer confidence going forward. Apple can weather that storm but can publishers who increasingly have to rely on digital sales to stay competitive?
JD
Original article: Apple lawsuit may spark lower e-book prices (CBC Technology & Science)