Virginia will join 30 other states in suing Apple and publishing giants Penguin and MacMillan for conspiring to fix prices on electronic books.
Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli joined with the District and 15 other states in announcing Friday that they had signed onto the lawsuit first brought last month by Texas and Connecticut.
The suit alleges that the three companies worked together to create a new mode of distribution that eliminated competition and raised prices above market rates. In overcharging customers, the companies netted an additional $100 million, the states charge.
The suit asks the court to intervene immediately to break the agreement between Apple, Penguin and MacMillan before the case proceeds.
“We do not want businesses interfering with the markets by illegally conspiring to fix prices,” Cuccinelli said.
Maryland had joined the lawsuit earlier.
