UK Tribunal Allows Part of Antitrust Lawsuit Against Apple and Amazon to Proceed
A UK tribunal has allowed part of an antitrust lawsuit against Apple and Amazon to proceed, over allegations that they restricted competition for Apple products sold on Amazon's marketplace.
The lawsuit was initially filed in 2023 by a consumer law academic Christine Riefa, but was refused certification last year due to concerns about funding arrangements. A new proposed class representative, Justin Le Patourel, refiled the case and it has now been allowed to proceed with claims related to Apple products purchased through Amazon's marketplace.
The portion of the lawsuit allowed to proceed could be worth between £289 million and £306 million, including interest. Apple maintains that its agreement with Amazon was intended to curb the sale of counterfeit products, while Amazon says it is confident the remaining claim will prove to be 'without merit' as the legal process moves forward.
The decision allows a significant portion of the lawsuit to move forward, but narrows the scope of the claims. It remains to be seen how this will affect Apple and Amazon's business practices in the UK.