A federal judge has appointed a former U.S. prosecutor as the monitor who ensures that Apple Inc. complies with a ruling from the e-book antitrust case the company lost this year.
Michael Bromwich, a lawyer who previously worked in President Obama’s administration, was picked over a second candidate, whose name was not released.
Last summer, U.S. District Judge Denise Cote ruled that Apple had colluded with five U.S. publishers to fix e-book prices. Cote imposed a number of restrictions on Apple and ordered that an external monitor be appointed to keep watch over the company.
On Wednesday, Cote announced that Bromwich will serve in that role for two years, reviewing Apple’s antitrust policies and procedures.
Apple is appealing Cote’s main ruling and continues to assert that its deals with publishers did not violate antitrust laws.
Los Angeles Times
(c)2013 the Los Angeles Times