As per reports coming in from the European Union Commission they are launching an investigation to understand if Apple was involved with five other ebook makers in price fixing and other such business activities which are banned under the EU law.
The five companies in question, viz; Hachette Livre, Harper Collins, Simon & Schuster, Penguin and Verlagsgruppe Georg von Holzbrinck have engaged in similar acts previously and hence there might be a possibility that they have done something similar with Apple as well.
The Commission is looking into the terms of the agreement between the five ebook makers and Apple to better understand the situation.
The Commission also indicated that the investigations might be on for a bit longer duration, stating that it will depend on the extent of cooperation and the complexity of the case and also how the concerned undertakings use their right of defense. Also there has been no official deadline set for the case to be investigated in.
The UK Office of Fair Trading was also investigating the ebook cartel, though the case has been closed now that the EU Commission is looking into it. The OFT is said to be working closely with and assisting the commission in the investigation.