The European Union’s competition regulators carried out unannounced inspections into various companies that sell digital books on Tuesday on suspicion of operating a cartel and engaging in other banned business practices. The European Union’s competition regulators carried out unannounced inspections into various companies that sell digital books on Tuesday on suspicion of operating a cartel and engaging in other banned business practices.The companies, in several different European countries, were not identified. The European Commission, which is responsible for monitoring competition issues, said it made unannounced visits to several companies in the eBook publishing sector with national officials in those countries. It would not say if documents were taken or the format of the inspections.The Commission said it does not mean companies that were visited are necessarily guilty of anti-competitive behavior. In practice, such unannounced inspections are often a preliminary step to a more formal investigation and there is no legal deadline to complete inquiries. The biggest players in the global digital book market currently include Amazon, Google’s eBooks and Apple’s iBooks.Follow Jennifer on Twitter at @BrusselsGeek or email tips and comments to jennifer_baker@idg.com. Related content feature Top cybersecurity M&A deals for 2023 Fears of recession, rising interest rates, mass tech layoffs, and conservative spending trends are likely to make dealmakers cautious, but an ever-increasing need to defend against bigger and faster attacks will likely keep M&A activity steady in By CSO Staff Sep 22, 2023 24 mins Mergers and Acquisitions Mergers and Acquisitions Mergers and Acquisitions brandpost Unmasking ransomware threat clusters: Why it matters to defenders Similar patterns of behavior among ransomware treat groups can help security teams better understand and prepare for attacks By Joan Goodchild Sep 21, 2023 3 mins Cybercrime news analysis China’s offensive cyber operations support “soft power” agenda in Africa Researchers track Chinese cyber espionage intrusions targeting African industrial sectors. By Michael Hill Sep 21, 2023 5 mins Advanced Persistent Threats Cyberattacks Critical Infrastructure brandpost Proactive OT security requires visibility + prevention You cannot protect your operation by simply watching and waiting. It is essential to have a defense-in-depth approach. By Austen Byers Sep 21, 2023 4 mins Security Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe