Apple and Samsung Customers Could Be Due for a Piece of a £480m Payout in the Britain
Nearly thirty million individuals in the UK who purchased an Apple Inc. and/or Samsung mobile phone between the year 2015 and 2024 might be entitled to approximately seventeen pounds each in the event that a consumer watchdog wins in its legal action against the American technology firm Qualcomm Inc..
Legal Action Begins This Week
The advocacy organization is bringing the firm to the specialized court in London starting Monday.
The case between the advocacy organization and Qualcomm is projected to continue for over a month.
The group is accusing the semiconductor firm of restrictive behavior.
It claims that the firm compelled Apple Inc. & Samsung Electronics to pay high fees and patent charges for critical phone parts, which then raised the cost of those devices for buyers.
Key Points the Trial Will Determine
The trial commencing now will examine whether Qualcomm had market power and, should that be the case, whether it abused a dominant position.
Should the consumer group is successful in its claim, there will be a subsequent step requesting 480 million pounds from the tech firm, to be allocated to an approximate twenty-nine million British consumers affected.
The body is claiming compensation for all impacted Apple & Samsung mobile phones purchased between 1 October 2015 and 9 January 2024.
The organization states this would almost certainly work out at about £17 per individual.
Earlier Legal Challenges and Qualcomm's Position
The company has previously claimed the legal action has "no foundation".
A similar legal action against Qualcomm is currently underway in Canada, and the corporation has also earlier been fined by the European Union for anti-competition breaches.
The Federal Trade Commission in the US sued the company for anti-competitive behavior in the way it licensed its patents back in 2017, but had its case rejected in the year 2020.
Importance of the Case
The CEO of the consumer group stated: "This trial is a huge moment. It shows how the collective strength of the public - represented by us - can be used to require the major firms to be accountable should they exploit their market power."
The firm is one of the largest global producers of smartphone chips and has faced allegations about anti-competitive behaviour in the past.
- Affected handsets include Apple and Samsung phones bought between October 2015 and the start of 2024.
- The total payout demanded is £480 million.
- Per-person compensation is projected to be approximately 17 pounds.
- The case is taking place at the specialist court in London.
