Judge Says Apple Conspired to Raise Prices on E-Bo

Judge Says Apple Conspired to Raise Prices on E-Books

I think this is a misguided ruling for a number of reasons. Even if you accept the factual assertions of the Justice Department, their case requires a novel theory for what amounts to price fixing. In my view, it defies reason and as a matter of common sense the DOJ got the problem (i.e. in terms of monopolistic and monopsonistic threats in the ebooks market) wrong by 180 degrees. I don't say that because I use Apple products, I'm found of Amazon and own their products as well (Amazon, in reality, stands on the other side of this dispute - the DOJ is, for practical purposes, acting in Amazon's stead). The just think that the DOJ lost sight of the forest for the trees on this one and its position showed little regard for the long-term health of the ebooks market. I also think its legal theory is pretty weak. I don't know that I'd call this the worst overreach from this Justice Department, but I'd certainly call it a significant overreach. And, if higher courts ultimately accept its novel theory of what amounts to price fixing, that could have significant effects on markets in the future.

All that said, the ruling is what it is. It could get overturned on appeal, but I can't say I'm confident that will happen. In the end it probably doesn't matter much for Apple, the publishers, Amazon, or the ebook market. The potential, and quite scary, monopoly combined with a monopsony that Amazon was trying to establish has likely been sufficiently disrupted already such that the ebooks market can develop in a reasonably healthy manner (e.g. with lower prices for consumers in the long run and continued plentiful quality content creation). This may mean that consumers (myself included) receive a few more pennies in their settlement for ebooks previously purchased through Amazon though.
 

GURPS

INGSOC
PREMO Member
IMHO Apple did not conspire on squat

:progressivehateapplemadeinchina:

otherwise they love the products

I use Kindle for 99% of what I read ... I have 2 magazine subscriptions through iBooks [99.9% if the items are WAY over priced]



what really frosts my Cake .....
....when I can get a New [from an amazon Fulfillment store] DEAD Tree edition, cheaper than a electronic version ....


E-Books should be the cheapest
 

GURPS

INGSOC
PREMO Member
And, if higher courts ultimately accept its novel theory of what amounts to price fixing, that could have significant effects on markets in the future.

All that said, the ruling is what it is. It could get overturned on appeal, but I can't say I'm confident that will happen.


Yo ...
My Man Tilted ........

ALL Prices and WAGES will be set by a Gov. 'crat sooner or later ... otherwise LIFE is UNFair

Centralization ... is the Name of the GAME - learn it, live it, love it

:buddies:
 
Yo ...
My Man Tilted ........

ALL Prices and WAGES will be set by a Gov. 'crat sooner or later ... otherwise LIFE is UNFair

Centralization ... is the Name of the GAME - learn it, live it, love it

:buddies:

One of the problems here is that, even to the degree we accept government involvement in markets in the interest of consumers and/or protecting 'healthy' markets, what the DOJ did here cut the other way. It didn't further the interests of a healthy ebook market or, in the long run, consumers. As I said, the DOJ got it precisely wrong and went after behavior that (even beyond it not being, reasonably considered, in violation of the law) intended to and was probably successful in facilitating a healthy market and advancing the interests of, among others, consumers (again, I qualify that last part as being in the long run).

The effect of this ruling on this particular market probably won't be all that dramatic. The goal has been achieved I think, there is now (and probably will be going forward) an actual ebook market rather than just a single entity with both great monopolistic and great monopsonistic power - which would have been a recipe for consumers and producers alike getting screwed and for an unhealthy, un-vibrant market in general.
 

GURPS

INGSOC
PREMO Member
The effect of this ruling on this particular market probably won't be all that dramatic. The goal has been achieved I think, there is now (and probably will be going forward) an actual ebook market rather than just a single entity with both great monopolistic and great monopsonistic power - which would have been a recipe for consumers and producers alike getting screwed and for an unhealthy, un-vibrant market in general.


sure ... for now, but as time goes on, more and more will be controlled by the Gov. until people get fed up
 
The Supreme Court today denied Apple's cert petition in this case. So the case is pretty much over, with Apple having agreed to a $450 million settlement. I think $400 million of that is supposed to go to people that have purchased ebooks. I thought there was a fair chance that the Court would agree to hear this case, but I'm not too surprised that it didn't - the vast majority of petitions are denied by the Court. Anyway, I doubt many others here are interested in the legal issues that I had hoped the Court would take up. :smile:

That said, I'm posting to let some know that they might be getting a credit from this settlement sometime soon, now that the case has run its course in the courts. If you bought ebooks from Amazon or Apple or Barnes & Noble from around the middle of 2010 to around the middle of 2012, you may be entitled to a credit. It should appear automatically, but if not you may want to check to see whether you should have gotten something. When I notice that I've gotten a credit, I'll post so that others will know to look for theirs.

The credit only applies to purchases of books from certain publishers, but they're major publishers so a lot of prior purchases should qualify. And they aren't insignificant amounts for some books, about $6 for books that were New York Times bestsellers - about $1.50 for other books.
 
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stgislander

Well-Known Member
PREMO Member
And the new word for today is... Monopsony.

Thanks Tilted. I don't recall that one from my Econ class many, many years ago.
 

LibertyBeacon

Unto dust we shall return
what really frosts my Cake .....
....when I can get a New [from an amazon Fulfillment store] DEAD Tree edition, cheaper than a electronic version ....


E-Books should be the cheapest

Why *should* e-books be the cheapest?

:thisoughtabegood:
 

GURPS

INGSOC
PREMO Member
Why *should* e-books be the cheapest?

:thisoughtabegood:


sigh this was 3 yrs ago .... my attitude has some what evolved ... however ;


cost of the content really ... sure digital distribution means a higher profit for the business and publisher [I know the author isn't going to get more]

but my thought process is this:

you don't have to print the book ... no paper, no printers, no presses ... no shipping, no storing a print copy in a warehouse, employee theft - IMHO the overhead should be less for a given book

... digital distribution 'should' be cheaper option .... so the overall cost to the consumer should be a buck or two cheaper


[go ahead explain about electricity, file servers, data center costs] - that gets spread across 10,000's of items
 

LibertyBeacon

Unto dust we shall return
sigh this was 3 yrs ago .... my attitude has some what evolved

but my thought process is this:

you don't have to print the book ... no paper, no printers, no presses ... no shipping, no storing a print copy in a warehouse, employee theft - IMHO the overhead should be less for a given book

... digital distribution 'should' be cheaper option .... so the overall cost to the consumer should be a buck or two cheaper

Ah so you have a basic lack of economic education. That is a result of being a net taker your entire career.
 

This_person

Well-Known Member
Ah so you have a basic lack of economic education. That is a result of being a net taker your entire career.

Is your point to discuss your opinion of Gurps, or to provide an alternative opinion on the concept of cost of distributing an electronic copy vice the hard copy?
 
http://www.businesswire.com/news/ho...-Berman-Payday-Millions-e-Book-Purchasers-400

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Beginning June 21, 2016, millions of e-book purchasers will receive credits and checks for twice their losses following an antitrust lawsuit filed against Apple Inc. and five of the nation’s largest publishing companies for their roles in an alleged e-book price-fixing scheme, according to Hagens Berman.

Consumers will receive a $6.93 credit for every e-book which was a New York Times bestseller, and a $1.57 credit for other e-books.

Attorneys say the process is uniquely simple for consumers – credits will be automatically sent directly into the accounts of consumers at major book retailers, including Amazon.com Inc., Barnes & Noble Inc., Kobo Inc. and Apple. Retailers will issue emails and put the credits in the accounts simultaneously.
 
And the new word for today is... Monopsony.

Thanks Tilted. I don't recall that one from my Econ class many, many years ago.

:buddies:

Monopsony power isn't discussed as often as monopoly power is, but in certain market it can be just as powerful a force. It comes into play a lot in health insurance markets, for instance.
 
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