Court rejects Apple’s request to remove court-appointed antitrust monitor

A motion by Apple to halt the operations of a court-appointed antitrust monitor has been rejected, the Wall Street Journal reports. The lawyer, Michael Bromwich, was appointed by the court to ensure the compliance Apple’s iBook platform with antitrust laws. Apple previously petitioned the court to have Bromwich removed from his post, believing that his $1,100/hour legal fees were leading him to take undue investigative steps solely for the purpose of overcharging the Cupertino company.

Apple Inc. will have to submit to a court-imposed monitor while the technology company challenges a ruling holding it liable for conspiring to raise the price of electronic books, a federal appeals court ruled on Monday.  Apple has been trying to shake loose lawyer Michael Bromwich since a federal judge appointed him last year to keep tabs on Apple’s efforts to set up new policies to prevent antitrust violations. The appointment of Mr. Bromwich, who charges more than $1,000 an hour, came after a ruling last year that Apple colluded with five major U.S. publishers to drive up e-book prices. The order Monday by the Second U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals favored the Justice Department, which had pushed for the monitor, but Apple didn’t walk away empty handed.