C has a nice summary and analysis of the case:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-57...ok-prices-faq/
Quote:
The biggest risk for Apple in the DOJ trial isn't money; it's oversight into the company's other operations. The Justice Department isn't asking for monetary damages but wants Apple to admit wrongdoing and change its procedures to make sure that wrongdoing doesn't happen again. The publishers already have ended their pacts with Apple as part of their settlements, but Apple could pursue similar deals in its other businesses, such as music and TV. If the antitrust case sets a precedent that Apple's business dealings are illegal, it could have a sort of chilling effect on its other operations.
This is the model they want to use throughout their ecosystem," James Grimmelmann, a professor at New York Law School. "They don't want to have their fixed commission model undermined when it comes to apps, movies, and music.... To them it's a much larger issue than books."
Also, the government could seek more oversight into Apple's affairs, much as it did during Microsoft's antitrust suit more than a decade ago. In that instance, the DOJ set up a "technical committee" of three people who were based at Microsoft's headquarters and had full access to Microsoft's staff, documents, system, and facilities for five years to make sure the software company complied with its settlement.
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