Apple wants the Department of Justice to turn over the interviews it conducted with Amazon employees as part of the ebook pricing lawsuit. In an August filing, Apple wrote, ”Amazon was the driving force behind the Government’s investigation, and it told a story to the Government that has yet to be scrutinized. Amazon talked with the government repeatedly throughout the investigation, even hosting a two-day meeting at its Seattle headquarters.
Apple’s fight to obtain the interviews came to light as result of court records that show Amazon attempting to quash the subpoena in Seattle federal court. We don’t know what kind of information Apple is seeking, but some of it would likely relate to Amazon’s ebook pricing practices. Apple attorneys are now trying to transfer Amazon’s motion to the Southern District of New York so that Judge Denise Cote, who is overseeing the case, can rule on it.
Judge Cote has agreed to “promptly address the discovery dispute” if the motion is transferred.
The DOJ’s trial against Apple, Macmillan and Penguin is set to take place next June. Judge Cote recently approved the DOJ’s settlement with three other publishers, and new ebook prices from one of the setting publishers, HarperCollins, are already in effect. Apple previously suggested that it would appeal the settlement.
Subpoena
