More Thoughts on e-books

The WSJ published an article today regarding a DOJ antitrust lawsuit over e-book pricing. The case alleges five of the largest publishers in the US conspired to limit competition for the pricing of e-books.

Apple appears to be at the center of this mess with an agreement they made with publishers. Apparently this was done prior to the launch of the first iPad. Some key points of the lawsuit surround allegations the publishers sought to limit competition in the retail arena while concurrently driving up the price of e-books. A win-win for Apple and the publishers; not a good outcome for everyone else. So much for the Internet securing better deals for shoppers.

This lawsuit is another example of why both individuals and organizations (e.g. their CIOs) need to follow and understand developments in this space. Beyond the basic economic considerations, the shifting sands around the terms and conditions associated with the sale of e-books may have important implications.

As noted in my previous blog entry on this subject, there is a big difference between physically taking possession of a published piece and using an e-book. Hold on tight, this is far from over; there is still a lot of change still to come in this evolving marketplace.

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