This is naive reasoning on several levels.
First of all, antitrust actions are mainly about the government stopping a behavior that it deems to be illegal, and they are typically resolved administratively by the company agreeing not to do it again. If the company is claiming that they never did the offending thing, then agreeing not to do it again should not be an issue. Arguing this in court is a pointless exercise.
Second, these trials can drag on for years, during which a lot of material that the company really would prefer to remain confidential becomes very public. Some of it will no doubt be embarrassing.
Third, the moment the trial opens, media coverage for the company changes utterly. The message is no longer about their new and wonderful products, but about this week's developments in the antitrust trial. We will never be given a chance to forget that Apple is being hoisted up on antitrust charges, and the public will be constantly reminded about how big and possibly arrogant and out of control Apple has become. In short, a PR nightmare, squared.
Finally, if the case ever proceeds to a Finding of Fact, then Apple become vulnerable to all sorts of private actions.
Going into court, guns blazing, with some misguided mission to "preserve your honor" is a fool's errand. The smart company makes it go away as quickly and quietly as possible.
All of this Microsoft discovered the hard way. I hope Apple is smart enough to not repeat their mistakes.
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They protect neither. They protect competition.
LOL what are you talking about? This is NOT Microsoftian antitrust in nature. It's over . . . . e-book pricing. *yawn*
This will register with the public like Question Period in the House of Commons.
They want iPads, and MORE Apple gear. More and more of it, and to the tune of billions of dollars' worth of open wallets.
It's The Great e-book Trial. It's positively comedic. LOL Joe Average won't give a damn. If he doesn't give a damn about alleged (though hugely sensationalized and thoroughly reported) Foxconn worker abuse, he won't care about piddly e-book pricing.
Get real. This isn't Microsoft antitrust. We live in an age where consumers are falling all over themselves to get Apple gear. It'll take wrongdoing of MASSIVE proportions for little Johnny next door, or so and so's wife, or the current Fortune 500 company rolling out iPads, to think twice about their planned Apple purchases.
If Apple can weather the Foxconn "dirty laundry" with barely a scratch - most consumers didn't even care to notice, it was ALL about the New iPad and iPhone 5 rumours - then chances are, they'll be just fine with the rest of their laundry. Remember, it's TIM COOK running Apple. it's safe to say he runs a very tight ship. They're prepared.
Really now, what "dirty laundry" will the world find out and stand in awe over? That Apple kills puppies? That they're running a prostitution ring? LMAO, truly. There was even that Stock Options "scandal." Apparently that was supposed to be serious. It barely registered with anyone.
Most of the lovable geeks and tech-heads hanging out on tech sites on the ass-end of the net understand tech very well. Chips and circuits and Terminal commands, and moaning about Mission Control, and wielding their sacred photoshopped mockups in fake iPhone rumour battles (LOL.) It's
PEOPLE they have a problem with. Consumer Behaviour 101. Check it.