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Approximately thirty million people in the Britain who acquired an Apple Inc. and/or Samsung mobile phone from the year 2015 to 2024 might be eligible to about seventeen pounds per claimant should a consumer campaign group is successful in its lawsuit against the US tech giant Qualcomm Inc..

Legal Action Starts Today

The campaign is taking the firm to the CAT in London starting Monday.

The legal proceedings between the advocacy organization and the chipmaker is expected to run for around 35 days.

The organization is claiming the tech firm of restrictive behavior.

It claims that the company forced Apple Inc. & Samsung to pay excessive costs and licensing fees for critical mobile hardware, which then raised the price of those mobile phones for users.

The Details the Case Will Determine

The case commencing on Monday will look into whether the chipmaker possessed dominance and, if so, whether it abused a leading role.

If the consumer group is victorious, there will be a second stage seeking £480m from Qualcomm, to be distributed among an estimated 29 million British smartphone users affected.

The body is claiming compensation for all eligible Apple Inc. and Samsung Electronics handsets purchased between 1 October 2015 and 9 January 2024.

The group estimates this would almost certainly work out at around seventeen pounds per person.

Past Legal Challenges and Qualcomm's Response

Qualcomm has previously claimed the claim has "no foundation".

A comparable claim against the tech giant is in progress in Canada, and the corporation has also in the past been penalized by the European Union for anti-competitive violations.

The Federal Trade Commission in the US filed a case against the firm for restrictive tactics in the way it sold rights to its technology back in 2017, but had its case rejected in 2020.

Importance of the Legal Action

The head of the watchdog commented: "This case is a significant event. It shows how the power of consumers - supported by the group - can be used to require the major firms to be accountable if they misuse their market power."

Qualcomm is one of the leading producers of handset semiconductors and has encountered allegations about anti-competitive behaviour previously.

• Eligible smartphones include Apple Inc. and Samsung models acquired between 2015 and January 2024.
• The overall compensation requested is £480m.
• Each payout is projected to be approximately 17 pounds.
• The legal action is being held at the CAT in the UK capital.