Apple is now alone in its battle with the Department of Justice over the accusation that it conspired with publishers to fix ebook prices and a report today is suggesting that Apple would be wise to give up the fight now.
According to some legal experts Apple has little to gain by going to trial, claims Reuters.
The DOJ is seeking a judicial decree that Apple violated antitrust law, according to court papers. Such a judgment could make Apple vulnerable to steep damages in related litigation, according to Reuters.
New York University School of Law professor Harry First told Reuters that if Apple loses against the Justice Department, plaintiffs in a class-action suit filed on behalf of consumers would be in a "powerful position" to win their cases.
The Consumer Federation of America estimated that ebook price fixing in 2012 could have cost US consumers more than $200 million.
However, University of Michigan Law School professor Daniel Crane suggested that Apple may be trying to establish an antitrust principle to help other aspects of its business such as content deals with entertainment companies.
The trial, which will be overseen by District Judge Denise Cote will begin in Manhattan on 3 June.
In the US the five publishers named in the case with th DOJ have all settled. In a similar case in the European Union, Apple and four publishers have already come to an agreement with regulators.
Follow Karen Haslam on Twitter / Follow MacworldUK on Twitter
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