Amazon, Apple customers to get credits for price-fixed e-books

E-book buyers who unwittingly fell victim to the much publicized price-fixing scheme to universally raise the cost of popular digital reading materials will soon receive a credit for their troubles. Both Amazon and Apple have started distributing emails to customers who can expect a credit. Apple hasn't detailed the amount of the credits, but Amazon notes each qualifying e-book purchase should return between 30 cents and $1.32.

The monetary bonus comes courtesy of a settlement reached earlier this year between the Department of Justice and a trio of publishers including Simon & Schuster, HarperCollins and Hachette Book Group. A $69 million fund with which to pay out the credits will be created by the three publishers that decided to settle.

The settlement itself remains pending until approved by the court in February. Publishers Macmillan and Penguin, as well as Apple itself, have decided not to settle and will head to court to plead their cases in June 2013.