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Approximately 30 million individuals in the Britain who bought an Apple and/or Samsung Electronics smartphone between the year 2015 and 2024 could be able to about seventeen pounds each in the event that a buyer advocacy organization is successful in its case against the American technology firm Qualcomm Inc..

Trial Begins On Monday

The advocacy organization is bringing the technology corporation to the specialized court in London this week.

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

The organization is accusing the tech firm of restrictive behavior.

The allegation is that the corporation forced Apple Inc. and Samsung Electronics to pay excessive costs and patent charges for necessary handset components, which then pushed up the cost of those devices for consumers.

What the Case Will Determine

The trial starting this week will focus on whether Qualcomm held dominance and, if proven, whether it abused a leading role.

In the event that the watchdog is successful, there will be a second stage requesting £480 million from the tech firm, to be allocated to an approximate twenty-nine million UK smartphone users impacted.

The consumer group is claiming compensation for all impacted Apple Inc. & Samsung Electronics handsets purchased between the start of October 2015 and 9 January 2024.

The watchdog estimates this would likely calculate at about 17 pounds per person.

Past Cases and Qualcomm's Response

Qualcomm has earlier said the case has "no basis".

A similar claim against Qualcomm is ongoing in the Canadian courts, and the corporation has also previously been penalized by the EU for antitrust violations.

The FTC in the United States sued the company for unfair practices in the way it authorized use of its innovations back in the year 2017, but had its claim thrown out in the year 2020.

Impact of the Case

The chief executive of the consumer group stated: "This legal action is a significant event. It illustrates how the power of consumers - supported by our organization - can be used to make the biggest companies to answer should they exploit their market power."

Qualcomm is one of the leading suppliers of mobile processors and has faced allegations about unfair practices before.

• Eligible smartphones include Apple & Samsung Electronics products acquired between the end of 2015 and 2024.
• The overall compensation being sought is £480m.
• Each payout is estimated to be around 17 pounds.
• The legal action is proceeding at the Competition Appeal Tribunal in the UK capital.