A division of Pearson, the worldwide publisher of education products and other materials, has agreed to pay $75 million as part of a settlement of a lawsuit in which a group of companies was accused of fixing the price of e-books.
The lawsuit had alleged that Penguin, whose parent company is Pearson, and other publishers had conspired with Apple Inc. to limit competition and fix the retail price of e-books, as a way to combat Amazon’s influence over the market through the Kindle, including its ability to offer discounted prices.
Pearson officials described the settlement in a statement as part of a “comprehensive agreement” with the attorneys general from several states and plaintiffs in a private class action. Pearson officials said they committed to the same terms as part of a previous settlement over related allegations with the U.S. Department of Justice.
