🔗 Share this article

Approximately 30 million consumers in the UK who purchased an Apple Inc. and/or Samsung handset between the year 2015 to 2024 could be able to approximately seventeen pounds per claimant if a buyer watchdog prevails in its legal action against the American tech giant Qualcomm Inc..

Trial Starts On Monday

The advocacy organization is escalating the technology corporation to the CAT in the UK capital this week.

The case between the advocacy organization and the chipmaker is projected to last over a month.

The organization is accusing the semiconductor firm of anti-competitive practices.

The group asserts that the company compelled Apple and Samsung to pay excessive costs and licensing fees for necessary mobile hardware, which then pushed up the expense of those devices for users.

Key Points the Legal Action Will Decide

The trial commencing this week will look into whether the chipmaker possessed control and, should that be the case, whether it exploited a leading role.

In the event that the consumer group is successful in its claim, there will be a second stage requesting 480 million pounds from the tech firm, to be distributed among an estimated 29 million British consumers affected.

The organization is seeking damages for all impacted Apple & Samsung handsets purchased between October 1, 2015 and early January 2024.

The watchdog says this would almost certainly calculate at around seventeen pounds per individual.

Earlier Cases and Qualcomm's Statement

Qualcomm has in the past claimed the case has "little merit".

A comparable case against Qualcomm is in progress in the Canadian courts, and the corporation has also in the past been penalized by the EU for anti-competitive violations.

The US regulator in the America sued the corporation for unfair practices in the way it sold rights to its innovations back in the year 2017, but had its claim thrown out in the year 2020.

Importance of the Case

The head of the watchdog remarked: "This trial is a major milestone. It shows how the power of the public - represented by our organization - can be used to make the major firms to be accountable if they exploit their dominant position."

The chipmaker is one of the largest global suppliers of handset semiconductors and has been subject to accusations about restrictive conduct in the past.

• Qualifying handsets include Apple Inc. & Samsung Electronics products acquired between the end of 2015 and January 2024.
• The claimed amount being sought is 480 million pounds.
• Per-person payout is expected to be approximately seventeen pounds.
• The trial is taking place at the specialist court in the UK capital.