đŸ”— Share this article Apple Inc. & Samsung Users Might Be Due for a Share of a £480 million Payout in the United Kingdom Nearly thirty million consumers in the United Kingdom who bought an Apple or Samsung Electronics mobile phone between 2015 and the year 2024 may be entitled to around 17 pounds per person in the event that a customer advocacy organization is successful in its legal action against the US technology firm Qualcomm Inc.. Legal Action Commences Today The campaign is taking the tech giant to the Competition Appeal Tribunal in the UK capital this week. The case involving the consumer group and the chipmaker is expected to continue for over a month. The organization is claiming the semiconductor firm of restrictive behavior. The group asserts that the corporation forced Apple Inc. & Samsung Electronics to pay excessive costs and licensing fees for necessary phone parts, which then raised the cost of those smartphones for consumers. The Details the Legal Action Will Examine The trial starting this week will examine whether the chipmaker had control and, if proven, whether it exploited a leading role. If the advocacy organization is victorious, there will be a follow-up phase requesting 480 million pounds from the tech firm, to be allocated to an estimated 29 million UK phone owners involved. The consumer group is claiming compensation for all impacted Apple and Samsung mobile phones acquired between 1 October 2015 and early January 2024. The organization estimates this would probably amount at about 17 pounds per person. Earlier Cases and Qualcomm's Response The company has in the past said the legal action has "no basis". A parallel claim against the tech giant is in progress in Canada, and the firm has also earlier been fined by the European Union for anti-competition violations. The FTC in the US sued the corporation for unfair practices in the way it authorized use of its patents back in the year 2017, but had its claim rejected in the year 2020. Impact of the Legal Action The CEO of the organization stated: "This case is a huge moment. It shows how the power of consumers - backed by the group - can be used to hold the largest corporations to account if they misuse their market power." The chipmaker is one of the world's biggest producers of handset semiconductors and has encountered claims about restrictive conduct before. Qualifying devices include Apple Inc. and Samsung models bought between 2015 and January 2024. The claimed amount being sought is £480 million. Individual payment is estimated to be around £17. The case is proceeding at the specialist court in the UK capital.