WASHINGTON, Aug 14 (Reuters) - An education group seeking to increase access to college textbooks and research materials on Wednesday asked the U.S. government to block the proposed merger of textbook publishers McGraw-Hill Education Inc and Cengage Learning Holdings II Inc.

The proposed merger "will significantly decrease competition in a market already rife with anti-consumer behavior," the Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition (SPARC) said in a filing with the Justice Department's Antitrust division.

SPARC advocates the open sharing of research and educational material. Its members include colleges and universities from around the United States, such as Harvard University, Iowa State University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, according to its website.

Student consumers would face "irreparable harm" if the merger moves forward and the "merger must be blocked in its entirety," SPARC said.

A representative for the two companies said Cengage and McGraw-Hill were working closely with the Justice Department and were "confident that the transaction will benefit our customers and create more affordable options for students."

The companies said they expect the deal to close early next year. </s> By Bryan Pietsch

WASHINGTON, Aug 14 (Reuters) - An education group seeking to increase access to college textbooks and research materials on Wednesday asked the U.S. government to block the proposed merger of textbook publishers McGraw-Hill Education Inc and Cengage Learning Holdings II Inc.

The proposed merger "will significantly decrease competition in a market already rife with anti-consumer behavior," the Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition (SPARC) said in a filing with the Justice Department's Antitrust division.

The merger announced in May between Cengage and McGraw-Hill, which is owned by Apollo Global Management LLC, would reduce the number of major textbook publishers to three from four. Publishers Pearson and Wiley, hold an estimated 40 percent and 7 percent of the market, respectively, sources close to the companies told Reuters.

SPARC advocates the open sharing of research and educational material. Its members include colleges and universities from around the United States, such as Harvard University, Iowa State University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, according to its website.

Student consumers would face "irreparable harm" if the merger moves forward and the "merger must be blocked in its entirety," SPARC said.

A representative for the two companies said Cengage and McGraw-Hill were working closely with the Justice Department and were "confident that the transaction will benefit our customers and create more affordable options for students."

The companies said they expect the deal to close early next year. (Reporting by Bryan Pietsch; editing by Jonathan Oatis) </s> Law360 (August 14, 2019, 6:35 PM EDT) -- The Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition became the latest group to urge the U.S. Department of Justice to block the proposed merger between college textbook publishing giants Cengage Learning and McGraw-Hill Education, saying Wednesday it would decrease competition and increase book prices for students. The proposed merger would violate the Clayton Act by creating a combined company that controls 45 percent of the textbook market, according to SPARC. Additionally, as more textbook data moves online, publishers have access to large amounts of students' data and this merger could result in a new platform monopoly in education, SPARC added. "The merger...

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The Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition, a U.S.-based organization that aims to keep educational materials broadly accessible, has asked the Antitrust Division of the Justice Department to halt a planned merger between two large textbook companies, McGraw-Hill and Cengage, a merger it claims will cause students "irreparable harm".