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Nearly thirty million consumers in the Britain who purchased an Apple or Samsung handset from the year 2015 to 2024 may be able to approximately £17 per person if a customer campaign group wins in its case against the US corporation Qualcomm.

Court Case Commences On Monday

The consumer group is bringing the technology corporation to the Competition Appeal Tribunal in London starting Monday.

The legal proceedings involving the consumer group and Qualcomm is projected to continue for around 35 days.

The organization is claiming the chip company of unfair competition.

It claims that the corporation compelled Apple and Samsung Electronics to pay excessive costs and licensing fees for necessary handset components, which then increased the cost of those devices for users.

The Details the Case Will Examine

The case starting on Monday will examine whether the chipmaker had market power and, if so, whether it misused a powerful stance.

If the watchdog is victorious, there will be a second stage seeking £480m from the tech firm, to be distributed among an projected twenty-nine million UK consumers involved.

The body is seeking damages for all affected Apple & Samsung smartphones bought between October 1, 2015 and January 9, 2024.

The organization estimates this would probably work out at approximately 17 pounds per individual.

Earlier Allegations and The Firm's Statement

The chipmaker has previously claimed the claim has "little merit".

A comparable claim against the tech giant is in progress in the Canadian courts, and the company has also in the past been penalized by the European Union for anti-competition practices.

The US regulator in the US sued the company for unfair practices in the way it licensed its technology in the year 2017, but had its case rejected in the year 2020.

Importance of the Trial

The head of the watchdog commented: "This legal action is a major milestone. It shows how the collective strength of buyers - backed by the group - can be used to require the biggest companies to answer should they misuse their market power."

The firm is one of the world's biggest producers of handset semiconductors and has been subject to accusations about unfair practices before.

• Eligible handsets include Apple Inc. and Samsung phones acquired between 2015 and January 2024.
• The claimed amount demanded is £480 million.
• Individual compensation is projected to be around 17 pounds.
• The case is taking place at the Competition Appeal Tribunal in the UK capital.