Apple Inc. & Samsung Customers May Be Due for a Portion of a £480m Payout in the Britain

Nearly thirty million people in the United Kingdom who bought an Apple Inc. and/or Samsung handset between the year 2015 to 2024 could be able to around 17 pounds per claimant if a consumer advocacy organization prevails in its case against the American tech giant Qualcomm.

Legal Action Commences This Week

The advocacy organization is escalating the tech giant to the Competition Appeal Tribunal in London now.

The legal proceedings between the consumer group and Qualcomm is projected to run for over a month.

The body is accusing the tech firm of restrictive behavior.

The allegation is that the company forced Apple and Samsung to pay high fees and royalty payments for necessary handset components, which then raised the cost of those mobile phones for buyers.

The Details the Legal Action Will Examine

The case starting on Monday will focus on whether the chipmaker held control and, should that be the case, whether it exploited a leading role.

If the advocacy organization is victorious, there will be a follow-up phase requesting 480 million pounds from Qualcomm, to be allocated to an estimated twenty-nine million British phone owners affected.

The organization is claiming compensation for all impacted Apple and Samsung handsets bought between October 1, 2015 and 9 January 2024.

The watchdog estimates this would likely work out at approximately seventeen pounds per individual.

Earlier Legal Challenges and The Firm's Response

Qualcomm has in the past said the claim has "no foundation".

A similar case against the tech giant is in progress in the Canadian courts, and the firm has also previously been penalized by the EU for anti-competition practices.

The FTC in the US filed a case against the corporation for unfair practices in the way it licensed its patents in the year 2017, but had its claim thrown out in 2020.

Significance of the Case

The head of the watchdog remarked: "This trial is a huge moment. It shows how the power of consumers - backed by us - can be used to make the largest corporations to be accountable if they exploit their market power."

The chipmaker is one of the largest global manufacturers of handset semiconductors and has faced accusations about unfair practices in the past.

• Affected smartphones include Apple Inc. & Samsung models acquired between October 2015 and January 2024.
• The claimed amount demanded is 480 million pounds.
• Individual compensation is estimated to be around 17 pounds.
• The legal action is being held at the specialist court in the UK capital.