Antitrust trial puts book publishing industry in the dock

Author Stephen King arrives at federal court before testifying for the Department of Justice as it bids to block the proposed merger of two of the world’s biggest publishers, Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster, Aug. 2, 2022, in ...NEW YORK — The Justice Department’s effort to block the merger of Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster isn’t just a showcase for the Biden administration’s tougher approach to corporate consolidation, it’s a rare moment for the publishing industry itself to be placed in the dock.

Through the first week of an expected two- to three-week trial in U.S. District Court in Washington, top publishing executives at Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster and…