Economic Area

Apple and four publishing companies have offered to settle with the European Commission over antitrust allegations relating to the e-book market.

Apple, Hachette, HarperCollins, Holtzbrinck and Simon & Schuster have all proposed measures to "alleviate concerns that these companies may have engaged in an anti-competitive concerted practice affecting the sale of e-books", the Commission said.

After carrying out unannounced inspections at the companies back in March, the European Commission is now starting a formal antitrust investigation in to whether Apple ( NSDQ: AAPL ) and book publishers are limiting e-book competition with their “agency” pricing model. The EC will investigate whether Hachette Livre, Harper Collins, Simon & Schuster ( NYSE: CBS ), Penguin and Macmillan Germany owner Holzbrinck “have, possibly with the help of Apple, engaged in anti-competitive practices affecting the sale of e-books in the European Economic Area (EEA)1, in breach of EU antitrust rules” ( announcement ). “The