UK Court Allows Part of Apple-Amazon Consumer Lawsuit to Proceed
A UK court has allowed part of a consumer lawsuit against Apple and Amazon to proceed. The case alleges that in 2018, Apple and Amazon agreed to limit which sellers could offer Apple products on Amazon's UK website. This move is claimed to have reduced competition and inflated prices for consumers.
The tribunal ruled that claims related to Apple products bought through Amazon's marketplace can continue, but rejected broader claims covering products purchased directly from Apple and other retailers. The allowed claims could be worth between £289 million and £306 million, including interest.
According to the ruling, there is a realistic basis for arguing that restrictions on resellers led to higher prices for consumers buying Apple products through Amazon. However, the tribunal did not find enough evidence to support claims of price increases for Apple products sold through Apple's own stores or by other retailers.