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Nearly thirty million people in the Britain who bought an Apple Inc. or Samsung handset between 2015 and the year 2024 might be able to around £17 per claimant in the event that a buyer advocacy organization wins in its case against the American corporation Qualcomm.

Court Case Begins On Monday

The consumer group is escalating the tech giant to the CAT in London this week.

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

The organization is alleging the tech firm of unfair competition.

It claims that the corporation compelled Apple Inc. & Samsung to pay high fees and patent charges for necessary phone parts, which then pushed up the price of those mobile phones for buyers.

Key Points the Case Will Examine

The case commencing this week will look into whether the chipmaker had control and, if proven, whether it abused a leading role.

If the advocacy organization is victorious, there will be a follow-up phase seeking £480 million from the tech firm, to be divided between an approximate 29 million British phone owners impacted.

The consumer group is seeking damages for all affected Apple & Samsung smartphones purchased between 1 October 2015 and early January 2024.

The organization estimates this would likely work out at about seventeen pounds each.

Past Allegations and Qualcomm's Response

The chipmaker has earlier stated the case has "no basis".

A parallel legal action against the tech giant is ongoing in the Canadian courts, and the company has also in the past been fined by the EU for anti-competitive practices.

The US regulator in the America took legal action against the company for anti-competitive behavior in the way it licensed its technology back in 2017, but had its case thrown out in the year 2020.

Impact of the Case

The CEO of the consumer group commented: "This legal action is a huge moment. It shows how the collective strength of buyers - supported by us - can be used to require the major firms to be accountable when they misuse their market power."

Qualcomm is one of the leading producers of smartphone chips and has faced accusations about restrictive conduct previously.

• Eligible smartphones include Apple Inc. and Samsung phones bought between the end of 2015 and the start of 2024.
• The claimed amount being sought is £480m.
• Each payout is estimated to be about 17 pounds.
• The trial is taking place at the specialist court in the UK capital.