UK Tribunal Allows Apple-Amazon Marketplace Claims To Proceed
(RTTNews) - A UK Competition Appeal Tribunal on Monday allowed a consumer claim covering Apple (AAPL) products bought through Amazon's (AMZN) UK marketplace to proceed, while refusing to certify claims involving Apple products bought through other retailers.
The law suit alleges that a 2018 agreement between Apple and Amazon unlawfully restricted competition, resulting in higher prices for Apple products sold both on Amazon and through other retail channels.
The original claim, brought by Christine Riefa Class Representative Limited on behalf of about 28.9 million UK consumers, was refused certification after the Tribunal found that Riefa did not meet the required authorisation condition. The claim was subsequently reconstituted under consumer advocate Justin Le Patourel through JLP A&A Class Representative Limited and substantially reissued, with a request for injunctive relief.
The Tribunal ruled that the proposed method for proving damages involving Amazon purchases was credible, grounded in facts, and met the required legal test (Microsoft standard). However, it rejected claims for purchases made through other retailers, finding underlying economic theory was unclear and the methodology was not sufficiently developed to pass the same legal test.
Apple shares closed at $341.07 on Friday, up 1.53%, while Amazon shares rose 0.12% to $249.67.
