Britain’s long-running challenge over what Qualcomm charged Apple for smartphone modems has come to an end as a consumer group that filed the lawsuit decided to end it after years of litigation.
British consumer group Which? is dropping a five-year-old lawsuit against Qualcomm seeking damages for artificially inflated prices for iPhone modems. Initially, the group sought more than $650 million in damages for 29 million customers in the United Kingdom.
In 2021, the consumer group “Which?” launched a lawsuit against Qualcomm, alleging it illegally raised prices for 4G modems. It said the costs were then passed on to buyers of iPhones and Samsung phones.
In addition, he claimed that he made companies pay regardless of whether or not the chips were used in the devices. The lawsuit sought £30 ($42) in damages for each customer.
For its part, Qualcomm said the lawsuit has no merit.
In a statement he saw ReutersWhich one? said he would withdraw the case and reach a settlement with Qualcomm.
The consumer group says the tribunal will find that Qualcomm did not force Apple or Samsung to sign any binding agreements.
The terms of the contract are not clear. However, it is known that Qualcomm will not make any payment to the claimant class.
Who? also noted that the tribunal would find that Qualcomm’s practices “did not violate competition laws, did not result in inflated royalties, and did not result in an increase in the prices consumers paid for their mobile phones.”
According to Reutersa Qualcomm spokesperson said that “this post-trial class admission on the merits confirms what US courts have repeatedly held: Qualcomm’s licensing practices are lawful and do not harm competition.”