Publishers to Pay $69 Million over E-Book Price-Fixing Claims

Customers to be reimbursed

Three leading publishers agreed to pay $69 million to settle an antitrust lawsuit accusing them of conspiring to fix ebook prices.

Hachette Book Group, Simon & Schuster and HarperCollins Publishers agreed to reimburse customers who paid artificially high prices for ebooks between April 1, 2010 and May 12, 2010. Reimbursements range from 25 cents to $1.32 per book, and payments are scheduled to begin 30 days after final court approval of the settlement.