Apple, Amazon face revived UK lawsuit over product sales

by@Reuters

Summary

On September 28, 2026, Britain's Competition Appeal Tribunal allowed part of a consumer lawsuit against Apple and Amazon to move forward, focusing on allegations that the two companies conspired to limit competition over Apple products sold on Amazon's UK marketplace. The lawsuit claims that since 2018, this agreement has led to reduced competition and inflated prices for consumers. Although the tribunal rejected broader claims related to products sold directly by Apple and other retailers, it found the allegations concerning marketplace sales plausible and credible, potentially impacting consumers by £289 million to £306 million, including interest. This lawsuit marks a refiled claim by Justin Le Patourel after a previous attempt was dismissed due to concerns over class representation and funding.

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Analysis

Apple: Apple Inc. is a leading technology company that designs and markets consumer electronics, software, and online services. In this news, it is one of the defendants in a revived UK consumer lawsuit alleging an agreement with Amazon that limited competition for Apple products on the Amazon UK marketplace. Amazon: Amazon.com Inc. operates a major global e-commerce platform including its marketplace for third-party sellers. The company is named in the UK tribunal ruling for its alleged 2018 agreement with Apple that restricted which sellers could offer Apple and Beats products on the UK site. Kelyn Bacon: Kelyn Bacon serves as a judge on Britain's Competition Appeal Tribunal. She authored the ruling that permitted the marketplace-related claims in the Apple-Amazon consumer lawsuit to proceed while dismissing broader elements of the case. Justin Le Patourel: Justin Le Patourel is the proposed class representative for consumers in the revived lawsuit against Apple and Amazon. He took over the claim after an earlier filing by Christine Riefa was rejected by the tribunal last year. Marketplace Focus: The tribunal found the claims concerning Apple products purchased via Amazon's marketplace to be plausible and supported by available facts. Class Action Refiling: A previously rejected consumer claim against the same parties was refiled under a new representative after concerns over the original class representative and funding were addressed. UK Competition Tribunal: Britain's Competition Appeal Tribunal reviews and decides on competition-related claims brought by consumers and businesses.

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