Business

Macmillan settles e-book suit

Macmillan, the last publisher left in a US lawsuit alleging an e-books price-fixing conspiracy with Apple, reached a settlement, agreeing to void deals with retailers that restrict discounting.

The settlement also requires Macmillan to avoid entering any new restrictive agreements on price or promotions until December 2014.

The company also agreed to a compliance program that includes reporting to the US communications with other publishers.

The agreement, filed in federal court in Manhattan, will “immediately allow retailers to lower the prices consumers pay for Macmillan’s e-books,” Jamillia Ferris, an attorney in the Justice Department’s antitrust division, said.

The settlement, if approved by a federal judge in Manhattan, would mark the end of a lawsuit alleging publishers conspired with Apple to undermine Amazon.com’s dominance in the e-books market.

The suit reflected stepped-up enforcement against anti-competitive price-fixing agreements in industry.

Regulators have also increased scrutiny of Apple’s digital publishing, mobile computing and music retail businesses.

The ligation against Apple will continue, the department said. Trudy Muller, an Apple spokeswoman, declined to comment on it.

Separately, US District Judge Denise Cote in Manhattan yesterday gave final approval to a $69 million settlement between 49 states and three of the publishers also named in the Justice Department complaint — Simon & Schuster, Hachette Book Group and News Corp.’s HarperCollins. (News Corp. also owns The Post.)

The three settled with the U.S. when the suit was filed on April 11.