Apple chief Tim Cook must testify in books case because of Jobs' death
Apple chief Tim Cook has been ordered to testify for four hours in a New York lawsuit which accuses Apple of conspiring with five publishers to raise e-book prices.
Tim Cook: ordered to court
Judge Denise Cote in Manhattan granted the Justice Department's request that Cook should be made testify - because of the death of Steve Jobs in 2011.
She said the death of Jobs was a key reason in ordering the deposition, reported the San Jose Mercury News.
"Because of that loss, I think the government is entitled to take testimony from high-level executives within Apple about topics relevant to the government case," she said.
The government had argued Cook likely had relevant information about Apple's entry into the e-books market.
Apple fought the request, saying Cook's testimony was "cumulative and duplicative" and pointing out that the government had already deposed 11 other Apple executivesr.
A spokesman for Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Originally Apple, was accused of conspiring with five publishers to raise e-book prices. The other four - Pearson's Penguin Group, News Corp.'s HarperCollins , CBS-owned Simon & Schuster, and Macmillan - have all settled. Apple is the only one left in the case.
The trial is set for June.