Apple Inc. and Samsung Electronics Owners Could Be Due for a Share of a £480 million Payout in the United Kingdom
Nearly 30 million people in the UK who acquired an Apple and/or Samsung Electronics handset between the year 2015 and the year 2024 could be able to about 17 pounds per person should a buyer advocacy organization is successful in its legal action against the US corporation Qualcomm.
Trial Starts Today
The campaign is escalating the tech giant to the CAT in London this week.
The trial involving the consumer group and the chipmaker is anticipated to run for over a month.
The body is claiming the chip company of anti-competitive practices.
It claims that the firm forced Apple Inc. & Samsung to pay inflated prices and licensing fees for essential handset components, which then pushed up the expense of those devices for consumers.
What the Trial Will Decide
The case starting now will examine whether Qualcomm had market power and, if proven, whether it misused a leading role.
Should the advocacy organization is victorious, there will be a follow-up phase aiming to obtain 480 million pounds from the tech firm, to be divided between an estimated 29 million British phone owners affected.
The body is claiming compensation for all affected Apple & Samsung handsets purchased between 1 October 2015 and 9 January 2024.
The watchdog states this would probably amount at about 17 pounds each.
Past Legal Challenges and The Firm's Position
The chipmaker has previously claimed the case has "no basis".
A parallel case against the tech giant is in progress in Canada, and the firm has also in the past been penalized by the EU for antitrust breaches.
The US regulator in the America sued the company for anti-competitive behavior in the way it licensed its technology back in the year 2017, but had its claim thrown out in 2020.
Significance of the Trial
The CEO of the organization commented: "This trial is a significant event. It illustrates how the power of consumers - backed by us - can be used to require the major firms to account when they abuse their leading role."
The chipmaker is one of the leading manufacturers of handset semiconductors and has faced claims about unfair practices in the past.
- Affected smartphones include Apple & Samsung Electronics models acquired between October 2015 and January 2024.
- The total payout demanded is £480 million.
- Per-person payment is projected to be about £17.
- The case is taking place at the CAT in London.
