The United States Department of Justice has reportedly warned Apple and other eBook sellers that it could hit them all with an antitrust dispute, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The latest report indicates that five of the biggest US publishers along with Apple have been warned they could be targeted for allegedly planning to increase the cost of books.
The report suggests Simon & Schuster, Hachette Book Group, Penguin, Macmillian and HarperCollins are all being targeted.
The case reportedly focuses on the fact that Apple tried to change the way publishers charged for ebooks before it released the first iPad in 2010. At the time, Apple wanted to sell eBooks through iTunes and then take a 30% commission, but said at the time publishers couldn’t let other retailers sell those books at cheaper prices.
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