From Laura Hazard-Owen at paidContent:
Random House parent company Bertelsmann and Penguin parent company Pearson announced Thursday that the Department of Justice has approved the proposed merger between Random House and Penguin “without conditions.”
The merger, which remains under review by other antitrust authorities including the European Commission and the Canadian Competition Bureau, would create the world’s largest publisher. According to the announcement sent by Pearson, “Pearson and Bertelsmann continue to expect the transaction to close in the second half of 2013, after all necessary approvals have been received.”
See Also: Pearson: Justice Department Closes Penguin, Random House Merger Probe (via Dow Jones)