🔗 Share this article Apple & Samsung Customers Might Be Due for a Piece of a £480 million Compensation in the UK Close to 30 million people in the Britain who purchased an Apple Inc. or Samsung mobile phone from the year 2015 to the year 2024 could be eligible to around seventeen pounds each should a buyer advocacy organization prevails in its legal action against the American technology firm Qualcomm Inc.. Trial Starts This Week The advocacy organization is escalating the firm to the CAT in London this week. The case involving the advocacy organization and the chipmaker is anticipated to continue for over a month. The body is alleging the chip company of restrictive behavior. The group asserts that the company forced Apple and Samsung to pay excessive costs and patent charges for critical phone parts, which then increased the price of those smartphones for buyers. What the Case Will Decide The legal proceedings starting on Monday will focus on whether the chipmaker had market power and, if so, whether it misused a powerful stance. In the event that the consumer group is victorious, there will be a subsequent step aiming to obtain £480 million from Qualcomm, to be divided between an estimated twenty-nine million British smartphone users involved. The body is seeking damages for all impacted Apple & Samsung Electronics handsets purchased between October 1, 2015 and early January 2024. The watchdog says this would almost certainly calculate at approximately £17 per individual. Past Allegations and The Firm's Position The company has in the past stated the claim has "no foundation". A parallel legal action against Qualcomm is currently underway in the Canadian courts, and the company has also in the past been penalized by the EU for anti-competitive practices. The US regulator in the US filed a case against the company for unfair practices in the way it licensed its innovations back in the year 2017, but had its legal action dismissed in 2020. Significance of the Case The chief executive of the organization stated: "This trial is a major milestone. It demonstrates how the influence of the public - backed by our organization - can be used to require the largest corporations to be accountable should they exploit their leading role." The firm is one of the world's biggest producers of mobile processors and has been subject to allegations about restrictive conduct previously. Eligible handsets include Apple Inc. and Samsung Electronics products acquired between 2015 and January 2024. The claimed amount being sought is £480m. Per-person payout is projected to be approximately £17. The case is being held at the specialist court in the UK capital.