Apple Facing E-Book Damages Trial Next Spring

Shelf Awareness

Federal district court judge Denise Cote, who ruled against Apple in the case over the agency model for e-books, has scheduled a May 2014 trial to determine damages, Reuters reported, noting that the "schedule for a possible trial on damages calls for the government and Apple to wrap up their interviews with experts by December 13. Court papers on whether to certify a class of plaintiffs must also be fully submitted by that date."

The judge is also considering a plan to restrict the contracts that Apple could enter with publishers Hachette, HarperCollins, Macmillan, Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster "over a five-year period, but with lesser restrictions than the governments had proposed." In addition, she said she prefers "a strong internal antitrust compliance program" rather than "the government's proposal that Apple retain a court-appointed external monitor," Reuters wrote.

Survey: E-Book Generation Gap Twist in Japan

Senior citizens in Japan may be more open to digital reading than their children and grandchildren, according to a BookLive survey conducted in July among visitors to the Tokyo International Book Fair. The Japan Times reported that "nearly 70% of Japanese in their 20s prefer paper to digital books, while less than 50% of those in their 70s do.... Asked what they want from e-books, 52.5% of respondents cited low price. Among those who have already used e-books, 70.4% called for more titles."