January 21, 2014 - 3:43 PM
NEW YORK, N.Y. - A federal appeals court judge has temporarily suspended the work of a court-appointed monitor assigned to make sure Apple Inc. has safeguards in place to comply with antitrust laws.
Judge Raymond J. Lohier Jr. signed the order Tuesday. He suspended the two-year appointment of a monitor until a three-judge panel of the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals can decide "as soon as possible" if a longer suspension is necessary.
A lower-court judge appointed a monitor after concluding last summer following a trial that Apple had colluded with book publishers in 2010 to raise electronic book prices.
Apple claims the monitor was "conducting a roving investigation" that interfered with Apple's business. The monitor disputed that.
Lohier ordered the government to submit arguments by Friday on its opposition for a stay.
News from © The Associated Press, 2014