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Approximately thirty million individuals in the Britain who acquired an Apple Inc. or Samsung mobile phone from 2015 and 2024 may be entitled to about £17 each if a consumer advocacy organization wins in its case against the US tech giant Qualcomm.

Court Case Starts On Monday

The campaign is escalating the tech giant to the specialized court in the UK capital this week.

The case between the consumer group and Qualcomm is anticipated to last five weeks.

The group is alleging the tech firm of restrictive behavior.

It claims that the company forced Apple & Samsung Electronics to pay inflated prices and licensing fees for essential handset components, which then raised the cost of those devices for consumers.

Key Points the Legal Action Will Determine

The legal proceedings beginning now will examine whether Qualcomm had market power and, if proven, whether it abused a dominant position.

In the event that the consumer group is successful in its claim, there will be a follow-up phase seeking £480m from the tech firm, to be distributed among an projected twenty-nine million British consumers impacted.

The body is claiming compensation for all affected Apple and Samsung mobile phones purchased between the start of October 2015 and 9 January 2024.

The organization says this would probably calculate at approximately seventeen pounds per person.

Earlier Legal Challenges and Qualcomm's Position

The company has previously claimed the legal action has "no foundation".

A parallel case against the tech giant is currently underway in the Canadian courts, and the corporation has also earlier been fined by the EU for antitrust violations.

The FTC in the America filed a case against the company for restrictive tactics in the way it sold rights to its technology back in the year 2017, but had its case rejected in the year 2020.

Significance of the Trial

The chief executive of the watchdog remarked: "This legal action is a significant event. It illustrates how the power of consumers - backed by the group - can be used to hold the largest corporations to be accountable should they abuse their leading role."

The chipmaker is one of the world's biggest producers of handset semiconductors and has faced claims about restrictive conduct previously.

• Eligible smartphones include Apple and Samsung phones acquired between October 2015 and 2024.
• The total payout being sought is 480 million pounds.
• Each compensation is projected to be approximately £17.
• The case is taking place at the Competition Appeal Tribunal in the UK capital.