Justice Department Seeks Oversight of Apple's iTunes Store

Personally, though Apple doesn't see it that way, I think the ebook parts of the remedy are a huge gift. They give Apple a straightforward way to climb out of the relatively customer-hostile cul-de-sac they've gotten into with ebooks and focus on competing on merit, not platform advantages. In the long run, I think that would be good for their ebook business.

The non-ebook parts are another matter, of course, but they are the reasons why Apple should have settled instead of going to trial. Now that the Justice Department has proven Apple's participation in a price-fixing conspiracy in court, they can and should ask the court for regulation prevent Apple's participation in future, similar conspiracies.