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Approximately thirty million individuals in the Britain who acquired an Apple or Samsung Electronics smartphone from 2015 and the year 2024 might be entitled to about 17 pounds each in the event that a buyer watchdog wins in its case against the American tech giant Qualcomm.

Legal Action Starts Today

The advocacy organization is bringing the tech giant to the CAT in the UK capital this week.

The case involving the advocacy organization and Qualcomm is anticipated to continue for around 35 days.

The body is claiming the semiconductor firm of unfair competition.

The group asserts that the corporation compelled Apple Inc. and Samsung to pay inflated prices and royalty payments for critical phone parts, which then raised the price of those smartphones for users.

What the Trial Will Examine

The case commencing this week will look into whether the chipmaker possessed dominance and, should that be the case, whether it abused a dominant position.

If the watchdog is victorious, there will be a subsequent step seeking £480 million from Qualcomm, to be distributed among an approximate twenty-nine million British consumers affected.

The consumer group is pursuing restitution for all affected Apple Inc. & Samsung Electronics smartphones acquired between 1 October 2015 and January 9, 2024.

The group estimates this would likely work out at around 17 pounds per person.

Past Allegations and Qualcomm's Position

The chipmaker has previously said the legal action has "no basis".

A parallel legal action against the tech giant is in progress in Canada, and the firm has also earlier been sanctioned by the EU for anti-competitive breaches.

The FTC in the US filed a case against the corporation for restrictive tactics in the way it sold rights to its innovations during 2017, but had its legal action rejected in the year 2020.

Significance of the Case

The CEO of the consumer group remarked: "This case is a huge moment. It illustrates how the power of buyers - represented by our organization - can be used to hold the largest corporations to be accountable should they exploit their leading role."

The firm is one of the largest global manufacturers of handset semiconductors and has faced claims about restrictive conduct previously.

• Affected smartphones include Apple & Samsung Electronics phones bought between 2015 and 2024.
• The claimed amount requested is £480 million.
• Per-person payment is estimated to be around 17 pounds.
• The case is taking place at the specialist court in London.