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Judge Appoints Monitor to Watch Over Apple’s E-Book Business

A U.S. District Court judge has appointed a monitor to oversee antitrust compliance in Apple’s e-book business.

U.S. District Judge Denise Cote on Wednesday tapped Michael Bromwich to monitor Apple’s e-book business as part of a court ruling that the company conspired to fix e-book prices. Bromwich, a former federal prosecutor and inspector general for the Justice Department, most recently served as the top offshore drilling watchdog after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. He will oversee Apple’s antitrust compliance for two years.

In July, Judge Cote ruled that Apple had conspired with five publishers to raise e-book prices. The publishers settled with regulators, while Apple appealed her ruling and denied any wrongdoing. An Apple Spokesman told Reuters the company had no comment on Bromwich’s appointment.