Apple CEO Cook forced to testify in e-book case

Apple CEO Tim Cook must sit for a deposition in the U.S. government’s antitrust lawsuit against Apple for alleged e-book price-fixing, according to a new report. U.S. District Judge Denise Cote granted a Justice Department request for Cook to testify for four hours. Apple had argued that Cook’s testimony would be “cumulative and duplicative” due to the depositions of 11 other Apple executives, but the Judge held that Cook should be made available for testimony, as there was no opportunity for live testimony from Apple’s late former CEO Steve Jobs. The lawsuit dates back to April, and initially targeted a number of publishers — Apple was the only publisher not to settle charges in the suit. A trial is currently set for June. Apple and other publishers settled an e-book EU antitrust investigation in September. [via Reuters]