• PIERRE, S.D.- Attorney General Marty Jackley along with 54 attorneys general in other states, districts and U.S. territories, announced today that they have reached an antitrust settlement with three of the largest book publishers. Hachette Book Group Inc., HarperCollins Publishers L.L.C., and Simon & Schuster Inc. have agreed to pay a total of more than $69 million to consumers to resolve antitrust claims of an alleged unlawful conspiracy to fix the prices of electronic books (E-books). They have also agreed to change the future pricing of E-books.
• The settlement occurs in conjunction with a civil antitrust lawsuit filed today in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York against Hachette, HarperCollins, and Simon & Schuster. In the lawsuit, the States allege that the three settling publishers and others "conspired and agreed to increase retail E- book prices for all consumers" and "agreed to eliminate E-book retail price competition between E-book outlets, such that retail prices to consumers would be the same regardless of the outlet patronized by the consumer." As a result of this conduct, the States al

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