Apple, Amazon face revived UK consumer lawsuit over product sales
AMZN•Britain’s Competition Appeal Tribunal allowed claims over Apple products bought through Amazon’s marketplace to proceed, while rejecting claims covering purchases directly from Apple and other retailers. The claimant said the allowed part of the case could be worth £289 million to £306 million, including interest.
1. Marketplace claims proceed
The tribunal allowed part of a consumer lawsuit alleging Apple and Amazon agreed in 2018 to restrict which sellers could offer Apple and Beats products on Amazon’s UK website, reducing competition and raising prices. It said the claims relating to Amazon marketplace purchases were “plausible, credible and grounded in the facts.”
2. Companies deny wrongdoing
Apple said it strongly disagreed with the claims and that its aim in reaching the agreement was to tackle counterfeit products on the marketplace. Amazon welcomed the ruling but called the remaining claim “without merit,” saying it was confident this would become clear during the process.
3. Other claims rejected
The tribunal rejected claims concerning products bought directly from Apple and other retailers, saying there was not enough evidence at this stage to support them. The lawsuit was refiled by Justin Le Patourel after an earlier, largely similar case was refused over concerns about its proposed class representative and litigation funding.
