Apple Loses Ebooks Antitrust Trial

Yes, riding to the rescue of the established publishers violated antitrust law, Judge Denise Cote has ruled in the federal government’s case against Apple Computer.

A trial on damages has yet to be held , and the company says it will appeal.

I haven’t read the full opinion yet, but frankly I’m not surprised. Antitrust law is designed to force producers to work for the benefit of consumers , even at the expense of their own interests. And it was antitrust law that had the publishers pinned , leaving them stuck cooperating with a company, Amazon, they thought was a threat to them in the long run. So if it also prohibits one producer from rescuing another, that helps it achieve its goals.

Those goals, however, are antithetical to the purpose of government in a free society : to protect individuals’ right to pursue their own interests. If and when the publishers die, antitrust law will have helped kill them .

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