Judge Issues Injunction in Apple Ebooks Case

Federal Judge Denise Cote has issued a final injunction in the Apple ebooks antitrust case. As the Department of Justice requested, the order requires Apple to pay for two antitrust cops : a compliance officer and an external monitor.

The injunction also bans Apple from using “most favored nation” clauses in its contracts with publishers, including in contracts that already exist. These clauses were central to Apple's effort to help the publishers protect themselves against Amazon .

Yet the order isn’t as restrictive as the government wanted . In particular, it does not address Apple’s contracts with the major suppliers of audio and video content.

The injunction is designed to make sure that Apple serves the purpose the government has assigned to it: giving its customers quality products at low prices, even if that means forgoing its own best interests or letting its business partners be destroyed . After all, antitrust law is an attempt to harness productive minds to the morality of a planned economy .

Apple says it will appeal .

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