Apple Inc on Monday lost its latest bid to put a court-appointed antitrust monitor on hold, after a federal appeals court rejected its argument that the monitor's work was causing it irreparable harm, the New York Times reported.
In a brief order, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York said that monitor Michael Bromwich may continue to examine Apple's antitrust compliance policies while the company pursues a broader appeal seeking to remove him altogether, according to the Times.
The court's order did addressed some of Apple's concerns though, making it clear that there are limits to the monitor's powers, the Times reported.
In a statement, a Department of Justice spokeswoman said the government was pleased with the decision, according to the Times.
"Today's ruling makes abundantly clear that Apple must now cooperate with the court-appointed monitor," said the spokeswoman, Gina Talamona, the Times reported.
U.S. District Judge Denise Cote installed Bromwich in October, three months after she found Apple liable for conspiring with five publishers to raise e-book prices, according to the Times.
Since then, Apple has fought a losing battle to put Bromwich on ice, complaining that he has aggressively and improperly sought interviews with key executives and broad access to company documents beyond the scope of his duties, the Times reported.
