Penguin seeks to settle EU e-book antitrust probe
Publisher Penguin seeks to settle EU's antitrust probe into e-book deal with Apple
BRUSSELS (AP) -- The European Union's antitrust watchdog says publisher Penguin has offered to forgo a deal with Apple on the sale of e-books in a bid to end an antitrust investigation.
The EU Commission, the 27-nation bloc's competition watchdog, launched proceedings in 2011 alleging that Apple and five publishers had agreed to fix the price of e-books ahead of the first iPad launch. All of the parties involved but Penguin agreed on a settlement with the Commission late last year.
The Commission said Friday Penguin, owned by Britain's Pearson PLC, is now proposing "substantially the same" settlement — which allowed Amazon and other retailers to resume discounting the publisher's titles in Europe.
Penguin is set to merge with Bertelsmann AG's publisher Random House, a deal recently cleared by the Commission.
