McGraw Hill, Pearson Dodge Antitrust Suit Over Online Coursework

Leading textbook publishers and campus bookstores, including McGraw Hill LLC and Barnes & Noble Education Inc., dodged antitrust claims in a federal court in Manhattan over their alleged scheme to corner the market for online course materials.

Judge Denise L. Cote threw out the multidistrict case late Monday, rejecting allegations that the retailers and publishers must have colluded on their “inclusive access” programs. Their parallel switch to a digital learning model is better explained as a common response to similar forces, she said.

The lawsuit “describes a commercial environment that would motivate any textbook publisher to independently consider the advantages ...