Court Rules Against Apple's Attempt To Block E-Books Antitrust Monitor
Apple has failed to convince a U.S. federal court that Michael Bromwich, its court-appointed e-books antitrust monitor, has been causing the company “irreparable harm,” according to a recent report.
The news comes from Reuters, which explains that a federal court ruled against the Cupertino, Calif. company on Monday. Apple’s original qualms surrounding Bromwich surfaced last November, when we heard that the monitor had charged almost $140,000 in legal fees for just two weeks of work.
Bromwich was appointed by the U.S. courts to investigate Apple’s antitrust compliance policies following the decision of the company’s e-books price-fixing trial. Apple said at the time: “Mr. Bromwich appears to be simply taking advantage of the fact that there is no competition here or, in his view, any ability on the part of Apple, the subject of his authority, to push back on his demands.”
The company also claims Bromwich “has aggressively and improperly sought interviews with key executives and broad access to company documents beyond the scope of his duties,” Reuters notes.
Now, however, a court has rejected Apple’s appeal and Bromwich is to continue in his role, as the publication explains:
In a brief order, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York said that monitor Michael Bromwich may continue to examine Apple’s antitrust compliance policies while the company pursues a broader appeal seeking to remove him altogether.
It’s bad news for Apple, even if the U.S. Department of Justice feels the right decision has been made. Reiterating the decision, Department of Justice spokesperson Gina Talamona said: “Today’s ruling makes abundantly clear that Apple must now cooperate with the court-appointed monitor.”
For now, the Cupertino, Calif. company is expected to continue pursuing the original guilty verdict, along with Bromwich’s installation as a court-appointed monitor, but this is “a process that will likely last for months,” Reuters adds.
We’ll keep you updated with further information as we receive it.
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