🔗 Share this article Apple and Samsung Users Might Be Due for a Piece of a £480 million Compensation in the Britain Nearly 30 million people in the UK who acquired an Apple and/or Samsung Electronics smartphone between the year 2015 and the year 2024 may be eligible to about seventeen pounds per person should a buyer advocacy organization is successful in its case against the American tech giant Qualcomm. Court Case Commences On Monday The consumer group is bringing the firm to the Competition Appeal Tribunal in the UK capital starting Monday. The legal proceedings between the consumer group and the chipmaker is anticipated to run for around 35 days. The body is alleging the semiconductor firm of restrictive behavior. The allegation is that the company pressured Apple Inc. and Samsung Electronics to pay high fees and licensing fees for essential handset components, which then pushed up the expense of those devices for consumers. Key Points the Case Will Examine The case starting now will examine whether Qualcomm possessed market power and, if so, whether it misused a dominant position. In the event that the advocacy organization is successful, there will be a follow-up phase seeking 480 million pounds from Qualcomm, to be divided between an projected twenty-nine million UK phone owners involved. The organization is seeking damages for all eligible Apple & Samsung handsets acquired between 1 October 2015 and early January 2024. The watchdog states this would almost certainly amount at about 17 pounds per person. Earlier Legal Challenges and The Firm's Statement Qualcomm has previously stated the legal action has "no basis". A parallel claim against the tech giant is currently underway in the Canadian courts, and the firm has also earlier been sanctioned by the EU for anti-competitive practices. The Federal Trade Commission in the US sued the company for unfair practices in the way it sold rights to its innovations back in 2017, but had its case thrown out in 2020. Impact of the Trial The chief executive of the organization stated: "This case is a major milestone. It demonstrates how the power of the public - backed by the group - can be used to hold the biggest companies to be accountable if they abuse their leading role." The firm is one of the leading producers of handset semiconductors and has been subject to claims about restrictive conduct before. Qualifying devices include Apple Inc. and Samsung models acquired between the end of 2015 and the start of 2024. The total payout requested is 480 million pounds. Each payment is estimated to be around seventeen pounds. The legal action is taking place at the Competition Appeal Tribunal in London.