The deal to acquire Simon & Schuster would have made the buyer, Penguin Random House, even larger, and reduced the number of big publishers in the U.S. to four.
When Penguin Random House announced the acquisition of Simon & Schuster, the DOJ and others raised alarm about one company owning most of the book publishing.
The government’s case blocked the merger of two of the United States’ largest publishers and reflected a more aggressive approach to curbing consolidation. It was closely watched by the publishing industry.