DOJ

After the Supreme Court declined to hear Apple’s appeal of the 2013 ebook antitrust ruling in March, the big question has been when the $400 million in compensation to consumers (plus $50 million in attorney fees) as stipulated in the previous settlement with the state attorneys general and the consumer class would be disbursed. Because of a potential Supreme Court appeal from a “professional objector” to the settlement, attorneys were “hoping” to see payment to ebook purchasers “by fall of 2016.” Now partner Shana Scarlett at Hagens Berman, the law firm that filed the original class action lawsuit in 2012 and still represents the consumer class, tells PL in response […]

This morning the Supreme Court released results from their Friday Conference, indicating that they denied Apple’s request to have their appeal of the ebook antitrust case heard. The Court’s denial of cert. brings the lawsuit to an end, and also means Apple’s monetary settlement with the state attorneys general and the consumer class providing $400 million in compensation to consumers (plus $50 million in attorney fees) will now proceed. That settlement, originally reached in June 2014 and approved by Judge Cote two months later, was upheld separately by the Second Circuit Court of Appeals last month. Class-action firm Hagens Berman’s managing partner Steve Berman, who originally […]

Apple did not have to wait long for a new Supreme Court conference date. Originally scheduled for the court’s February 19 conference, which was cancelled after Justice Scalia’s death, and then briefly in limbo, Apple’s request to have their appeal heard will now be taken up at the court’s next conference session on Friday, March 4. (The results of the conference are generally announced on or before the following Monday.) For perspective, note that over 100 cases are on the Court’s conference calendar — including a second one involving Apple (part of their longstanding litigation with Samsung).

The Supreme Court’s consideration of Apple’s petition to have the high court hear an appeal of the verdict against them in the ebook pricing antitrust case is currently in limbo. As we reported previously, the Supreme Court Conference for which the case was originally scheduled, on Friday, February 19, was cancelled while the late Justice Antonin Scalia lay in repose. Some accounts mistakenly assumed and posted that Apple’s case would be considered at today’s Conference instead, but from all indications a new hearing date has not been set yet. The Supreme Court case docket was updated on the 24th to indicate […]

The Supreme Court has postponed its February 19 conference, when they were scheduled to consider Apple’s request to hear an appeal of the ebook antitrust case, as that day will be taken up by a ceremony for the late Justice Antonin Scalia, who died last weekend. The court has also postponed its regularly scheduled orders for Monday, February 22. Separately, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the proposed settlement between Apple and the Department of Justice that could award as much as $400 million to ebook customers affected by the price-fixing lawsuit. The appeal, brought on behalf of plaintiff […]