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Nearly thirty million people in the UK who acquired an Apple Inc. or Samsung handset between 2015 and 2024 could be eligible to around £17 per claimant should a buyer watchdog prevails in its lawsuit against the American corporation Qualcomm.

Trial Begins This Week

The consumer group is bringing the firm to the CAT in the UK capital now.

The case involving the advocacy organization and the chipmaker is projected to last around 35 days.

The group is accusing the chip company of unfair competition.

The allegation is that the corporation compelled Apple and Samsung to pay high fees and royalty payments for necessary mobile hardware, which then raised the price of those mobile phones for consumers.

Key Points the Legal Action Will Decide

The trial starting this week will focus on whether Qualcomm possessed control and, should that be the case, whether it abused a powerful stance.

In the event that the consumer group is successful in its claim, there will be a subsequent step requesting 480 million pounds from Qualcomm, to be distributed among an approximate twenty-nine million UK consumers affected.

The organization is pursuing restitution for all affected Apple and Samsung Electronics handsets acquired between the start of October 2015 and 9 January 2024.

The organization estimates this would probably amount at around 17 pounds each.

Past Allegations and Qualcomm's Statement

Qualcomm has in the past said the case has "no basis".

A parallel case against the tech giant is currently underway in the Canadian courts, and the company has also earlier been fined by the European Union for anti-competitive breaches.

The US regulator in the America filed a case against the company for anti-competitive behavior in the way it licensed its technology in the year 2017, but had its case dismissed in the year 2020.

Significance of the Trial

The chief executive of the organization remarked: "This trial is a major milestone. It demonstrates how the influence of the public - represented by us - can be used to require the largest corporations to account if they misuse their leading role."

The chipmaker is one of the largest global producers of mobile processors and has been subject to allegations about restrictive conduct before.

• Qualifying handsets include Apple and Samsung Electronics products bought between the end of 2015 and the start of 2024.
• The total payout demanded is £480m.
• Each compensation is estimated to be approximately 17 pounds.
• The legal action is proceeding at the Competition Appeal Tribunal in the UK capital.