Apple under scrutiny as EU begins ebook price probe

Six ebook companies including Apple and Penguin are being investigated by the European Union for potential uncompetitive behaviour.

An unannounced investigation in some member states began in March this year, and the European Commission will now widen its remit to include the whole of Europe. It will concentrate on alleged illegal agreements that restrict competition within the EU.

The Office of Fair Trading, which also began its own investigation into ebook pricing earlier this year, will be working with the Commission to see if any publishers are in breach of EU rules on cartels.

The publishers that are expected to find themselves under scrutiny include Apple, Penguin, Harper Collins, Verlagsgruppe Georg von Holzbrinck, Hachette Livre and Simon & Schuster.