Authors versus publishers versus Apple versus customers. Who wins and who loses?

This is turning out to be interesting. The US Dept of Justice is looking into price fixing by Apple and others with regards to ebooks. (It’s about time!!!).

Now the Authors Guild (representing, duh, book authors) is weighing in, in favor of the Apple price-fixing model, which raises prices and profits for the authors and Apple, but causes us (the consumers) to end up paying more for each ebook.

I have some sympathy for the authors, and as a consumer I would like for ebook prices to be lower. I have no sympathy or support to Apple.

What’s fair here, and how do you see it ending?