Numerous reports out of Europe this morning indicate that the European Commission conducted surprise inspections of various publishers in several countries on the grounds of possible e-book price-fixing. Amelia Torres, spokeswoman for Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia, confirmed the investigation to the AFP, saying that “the competition services Tuesday conducted inspections in publishing houses in several European Union countries due to suspicion of anti-competition practices in the pricing of e-books” on the grounds that “the companies concerned may have violated EU antitrust rules that prohibit cartels and other restrictive business practices.” Torres stressed the EU was “not naming the publishing houses […]