Online Course Materials Monopolization Cases Centralized in N.Y.

McGraw Hill LLC, Pearson Education Inc., and other top textbook publishers will face consolidated claims in Manhattan federal court that they conspired with major retailers to corner the online course materials market, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation ruled Tuesday.

Despite minor differences, “these actions share multiple factual issues,” Judge Karen K. Caldwell wrote. Centralizing them will “promote the just and efficient conduct of this litigation” by eliminating “duplicative discovery” and “the possibility of inconsistent rulings,” she said.

The antitrust lawsuits—nine proposed class actions in four federal courts, plus at least six tag-along cases—also target Barnes & ...