Apple goes on the ebook pricing defensive

Apple has responded to allegations of ebook price fixing with a scathing court filing in which it pours scorn on claims that it colluded to crush the Amazon Kindle. The statement largely side-steps the more important issue of whether Apple schemed with publishers to push the price of ebooks up, focusing instead on so-called Kindle conspiracy theories. "This allegation just strings together antitrust buzzwords," says Apple. Antitrust bingo "Nor does this "Kindle theory" make sense on its own terms. For example, if Amazon was a "threat" that needed to be squelched by means of an illegal conspiracy, why would Apple offer Amazon's Kindle app on the iPad? "Why would Apple conclude that conspiring to force Amazon to no longer lose money on ebooks would cripple Amazon's competitive fortunes? "And why would Apple perceive the need for an illegal solution to the "Kindle threat" when it had an obvious and lawful one which it implemented – namely, introducing a multipurpose device (the iPad) whose marketing and sales success was not centred on ebook sales?" Apple is looking to have the burgeoning antitrust case against it dropped before it has really begun, with the US Department of Justice apparently looking to take the manufacturer and five US publishers to court over the agency ebook pricing model introduced by the late Steve Jobs.