US judge blocks Penguin Random House merger with rival publisher

The proposed purchase of Simon & Schuster has been blocked (Jenny Kane/AP)

A US judge has blocked Penguin Random House’s purchase of Simon & Schuster, agreeing with the Justice Department that the merger of two of the world’s biggest publishers could “lessen competition” for “top-selling books”.

The ruling was a victory for the Biden administration’s tougher approach to proposed mergers, a break from decades of precedent under Democratic and Republican leadership.