Articles on today’s ruling against Apple in eBooks price-fixing trial.
Fascinating for a number of reasons because this is the law for the 21st century being written in front of our eyes, with huge impacts on how new cloud technology, and digital access, will be sold, and accessed. This one for books, others have been for music, and video distribution law underway too. Who will control prices? How much “free market” will be “allowed” or “encouraged” to flourish?
It’s unclear exactly what this case means. See Richard Gilbert testimony below for one in-depth take.
Will we get monopolies and monopolistic practices, or does information want to be free?
One confusing aspect of this case is that there are two different “eBook” markets involved. The commercial stuff, and the textbooks. Haven’t as yet found an explanation of how these two elements were involved in today’s judgement; would like to read one.
What is out there today seems to explain only the floor for commercial eBooks, and not the “cap” for eTextbooks, although both were apparently “colluded”.
Testimony by Richard Gilbert for prosecution
PBS story from last year with a “this is happening as a kludge adjustment to new markets” POV.. makes comparison to book pricing in 1934 with depression underway, and marketing of “Gone with the Wind” book.