Department of Justice and all like that

I don't know if you've been following the story about the Department of Justice beating up the big six publishers (and who, one might reasonably ask, is more deserving of a really good thumping?). I certainly have not followed every spit and cough, because life is too short.

Anyway, it seems that there have been developments, and the Passive Guy has his own take on the report in the New York Times. 

Passive Guy, should you not know, is a lawyer by profession, and, despite the proposal put forward by one of Shakespeare's characters ('the first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers'), these guys do have their uses. And they are pretty smart at summing up a situation. In respect of the wonder boys (and, doubtless, girls) at three major New York publishers, PG has this to say:

The big players in an industry can’t get together in an expensive New York restaurant or anywhere else to set prices on their products and plan ways to force all retailers to abide by their pricing. There was nothing subtle or sophisticated about this conspiracy. This was a bush-league play by some immensely clueless executives.

A sentiment with which I heartily agree. Business as usual, then, as far as the publishing industry is concerned.