Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler, joined by
54 attorneys general from other states, U.S. territories and the District of
Columbia, announced today that an antitrust settlement has been secured with
three of the nation's largest book publishers. Under the settlement, Hachette
Book Group, Inc, HarperCollins Publishers L.L.C. and Simon & Schuster Inc.
have agreed to pay more than $69 million to consumers, resolving antitrust
claims of an alleged unlawful conspiracy to fix the prices of electronic books,
also known as e-books. Maryland consumers will receive up to $1.64 million from
the settlement.
