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Close to thirty million individuals in the Britain who acquired an Apple Inc. or Samsung Electronics mobile phone from 2015 to 2024 may be entitled to about £17 per claimant in the event that a buyer campaign group wins in its legal action against the US technology firm Qualcomm.

Trial Commences On Monday

The consumer group is escalating the technology corporation to the CAT in London this week.

The trial involving the watchdog and the chipmaker is projected to last around 35 days.

The organization is accusing the semiconductor firm of unfair competition.

It claims that the corporation compelled Apple & Samsung to pay inflated prices and royalty payments for necessary phone parts, which then raised the expense of those mobile phones for consumers.

The Details the Case Will Decide

The legal proceedings commencing this week will look into whether Qualcomm possessed control and, if proven, whether it abused a dominant position.

In the event that the consumer group is successful, there will be a second stage seeking 480 million pounds from Qualcomm, to be divided between an approximate twenty-nine million UK phone owners affected.

The consumer group is pursuing restitution for all affected Apple & Samsung handsets bought between October 1, 2015 and January 9, 2024.

The watchdog estimates this would probably work out at approximately £17 per individual.

Earlier Legal Challenges and The Firm's Response

Qualcomm has previously stated the legal action has "no foundation".

A similar claim against the tech giant is ongoing in Canada, and the firm has also earlier been fined by the European Union for anti-competition breaches.

The FTC in the United States took legal action against the company for unfair practices in the way it authorized use of its patents during 2017, but had its claim dismissed in the year 2020.

Impact of the Case

The head of the organization stated: "This trial is a major milestone. It demonstrates how the power of buyers - backed by the group - can be used to require the major firms to be accountable when they exploit their dominant position."

The firm is one of the largest global producers of mobile processors and has encountered allegations about restrictive conduct previously.

• Eligible handsets include Apple & Samsung products bought between October 2015 and 2024.
• The claimed amount requested is £480m.
• Per-person compensation is projected to be approximately £17.
• The case is being held at the CAT in London.