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Approximately thirty million consumers in the UK who acquired an Apple Inc. or Samsung mobile phone from the year 2015 and the year 2024 might be entitled to around seventeen pounds per person if a buyer watchdog is successful in its case against the American corporation Qualcomm Inc..

Court Case Begins This Week

The campaign is taking the tech giant to the Competition Appeal Tribunal in London starting Monday.

The case between the advocacy organization and the chipmaker is anticipated to last around 35 days.

The group is accusing the semiconductor firm of unfair competition.

The allegation is that the firm compelled Apple Inc. and Samsung Electronics to pay excessive costs and licensing fees for critical mobile hardware, which then raised the cost of those smartphones for consumers.

Key Points the Case Will Examine

The case beginning this week will focus on whether Qualcomm held dominance and, if proven, whether it misused a powerful stance.

In the event that the watchdog is victorious, there will be a follow-up phase aiming to obtain £480m from the tech firm, to be allocated to an approximate 29 million British smartphone users involved.

The organization is claiming compensation for all impacted Apple and Samsung Electronics handsets purchased between October 1, 2015 and early January 2024.

The group states this would probably amount at about £17 per person.

Earlier Allegations and Qualcomm's Statement

The company has in the past claimed the claim has "no foundation".

A similar claim against Qualcomm is ongoing in Canada, and the corporation has also previously been fined by the EU for anti-competitive violations.

The FTC in the United States sued the firm for anti-competitive behavior in the way it licensed its patents back in the year 2017, but had its legal action rejected in the year 2020.

Impact of the Legal Action

The head of the organization remarked: "This case is a significant event. It illustrates how the power of consumers - represented by the group - can be used to make the largest corporations to be accountable when they abuse their market power."

Qualcomm is one of the largest global manufacturers of smartphone chips and has encountered accusations about restrictive conduct previously.

• Qualifying devices include Apple and Samsung products bought between the end of 2015 and January 2024.
• The claimed amount demanded is £480m.
• Per-person compensation is estimated to be about £17.
• The case is proceeding at the specialist court in the UK capital.