Amazon.com and Hachette Book Group end months-long dispute

One of publishing's nastiest, most high-profile conflicts, the months-long standoff between Amazon.com and Hachette Book Group, is ending.

Amazon and Hachette announced a multi-year agreement Thursday.

With e-book revenues reportedly the key issue, Amazon had removed pre-order tags for Hachette books, reduced discounts and slowed deliveries.

Neither side seemed to benefit. Hachette sales on Amazon.com, the country's biggest bookseller, had dropped sharply. Amazon, meanwhile, issued a disappointing earnings report last month, although the impact of the Hachette dispute was unclear.

Hachette's authors include James Patterson and Donna Tartt. It was among five publishers sued in 2012 by the U.S. Justice Department for allegedly fixing e-book prices. The publishers settled and were required to negotiate new deals with Amazon and other retailers.