This week in a courthouse in Manhattan, Apple is defending itself against federal charges that it colluded with the nation’s biggest publishers to raise the price of e-books.

The case involves testimony from executives at Simon and Schuster and Penguin and emails from Steve Jobs, but another company forms the backdrop for the entire proceeding: Amazon.

When Apple introduced its iPad in 2010, Amazon dominated the ebook market. Now Apple is taking the stand to say its actions were not illegal, but were instead an attempt to end Amazon’s virtual monopoly.

This week on Money Talking, Joe Nocera with the New York Times and Diane Brady with Bloomberg Businessweek take a hard look at Amazon's hold on businesses from e-books to IT services to its most recent venture, delivering groceries in Los Angeles.