Why the Apple e-book trial should be over already: The DoJ has an open-and-shut case

[Commentary] The federal antitrust case over collusion and price-fixing in the e-book industry entered what will likely be its final chapter on June 3, with opening statements in court from the Department of Justice and Apple — since all of the accused publishers have already settled. And while Apple is undoubtedly going to make an impassioned defense of its innocence over the next few weeks, the fact is that the DoJ has what amounts to a slam-dunk case: no matter how you look at it, the company colluded with publishers to keep e-book prices high. In fact, the government’s case is so compelling that the judge in the trial has already said she thinks it will prevail, despite Apple’s protests to the contrary. In pretrial comments, U.S. District Judge Denise Cote said she believes the government “will be able to show at trial direct evidence that Apple knowingly participated in and facilitated a conspiracy to raise prices of e-books, and that the circumstantial evidence in this case will confirm that.”