Apple and Samsung Customers Could Be Eligible for a Piece of a £480 million Payout in the UK
Approximately 30 million people in the Britain who bought an Apple Inc. and/or Samsung Electronics smartphone from the year 2015 to 2024 could be eligible to approximately seventeen pounds per person should a buyer advocacy organization prevails in its lawsuit against the American tech giant Qualcomm Inc..
Court Case Starts This Week
The campaign is taking the technology corporation to the CAT in the UK capital now.
The legal proceedings between the advocacy organization and the chipmaker is projected to last around 35 days.
The body is alleging the tech firm of restrictive behavior.
It claims that the firm compelled Apple Inc. & Samsung Electronics to pay inflated prices and royalty payments for necessary mobile hardware, which then increased the cost of those mobile phones for consumers.
The Details the Legal Action Will Examine
The trial beginning this week will examine whether the chipmaker held control and, should that be the case, whether it misused a dominant position.
If the consumer group is victorious, there will be a follow-up phase seeking £480 million from Qualcomm, to be allocated to an estimated twenty-nine million UK phone owners affected.
The consumer group is pursuing restitution for all affected Apple Inc. & Samsung handsets acquired between 1 October 2015 and 9 January 2024.
The organization estimates this would probably work out at around seventeen pounds each.
Previous Cases and Qualcomm's Position
The chipmaker has earlier claimed the claim has "no basis".
A similar legal action against Qualcomm is ongoing in Canada, and the company has also earlier been fined by the European Union for anti-competitive practices.
The FTC in the United States filed a case against the corporation for restrictive tactics in the way it licensed its patents back in 2017, but had its case dismissed in the year 2020.
Impact of the Trial
The head of the consumer group remarked: "This case is a major milestone. It shows how the collective strength of consumers - represented by us - can be used to make the major firms to answer if they exploit their leading role."
The chipmaker is one of the largest global suppliers of mobile processors and has encountered allegations about unfair practices previously.
- Qualifying smartphones include Apple & Samsung Electronics phones purchased between the end of 2015 and January 2024.
- The claimed amount demanded is £480m.
- Each payout is expected to be around 17 pounds.
- The trial is being held at the specialist court in London.
