🔗 Share this article

Nearly thirty million individuals in the Britain who acquired an Apple Inc. or Samsung smartphone from 2015 and 2024 could be eligible to approximately £17 per claimant if a customer advocacy organization is successful in its legal action against the American corporation Qualcomm.

Legal Action Starts Today

The advocacy organization is taking the firm to the Competition Appeal Tribunal in the UK capital starting Monday.

The trial between the consumer group and the chipmaker is expected to last around 35 days.

The organization is alleging the tech firm of anti-competitive practices.

The allegation is that the corporation compelled Apple Inc. & Samsung Electronics to pay high fees and patent charges for necessary handset components, which then pushed up the price of those mobile phones for buyers.

The Details the Legal Action Will Examine

The legal proceedings starting on Monday will examine whether Qualcomm possessed control and, if proven, whether it exploited a dominant position.

Should the consumer group is successful, there will be a follow-up phase seeking 480 million pounds from Qualcomm, to be divided between an estimated twenty-nine million British consumers involved.

The consumer group is claiming compensation for all affected Apple and Samsung handsets purchased between 1 October 2015 and 9 January 2024.

The organization states this would likely amount at about £17 per person.

Past Legal Challenges and Qualcomm's Position

The chipmaker has previously said the claim has "no basis".

A similar legal action against Qualcomm is in progress in the Canadian courts, and the corporation has also earlier been sanctioned by the EU for antitrust practices.

The Federal Trade Commission in the United States sued the firm for restrictive tactics in the way it sold rights to its technology in 2017, but had its case rejected in the year 2020.

Impact of the Trial

The chief executive of the consumer group stated: "This trial is a major milestone. It shows how the power of buyers - supported by the group - can be used to require the biggest companies to answer when they exploit their leading role."

The firm is one of the largest global manufacturers of handset semiconductors and has been subject to claims about unfair practices before.

• Qualifying devices include Apple Inc. and Samsung products purchased between October 2015 and January 2024.
• The total payout requested is £480m.
• Each payout is estimated to be approximately £17.
• The trial is proceeding at the Competition Appeal Tribunal in London.