UK Tribunal Allows Apple and Amazon Antitrust Lawsuit to Proceed

The Competition Appeal Tribunal in London ruled on Monday that a consumer lawsuit against Apple Inc. and Amazon.com Inc. can proceed. The case centers on allegations that a 2018 agreement between the two companies restricted the number of third-party sellers allowed to offer Apple and Beats-branded products on Amazon's UK marketplace, which allegedly inflated prices for consumers.

Judge Kelyn Bacon found the claims regarding Amazon marketplace purchases to be "plausible, credible and grounded in the facts." However, the tribunal rejected broader allegations that this conduct increased prices at other retailers or Apple's own stores, describing those claims as a "complex and speculative theory of harm."

The remaining portion of the lawsuit could be worth between £289 million and £306 million, including interest. This legal action was refiled by Justin Le Patourel after a previous attempt by Christine Riefa was blocked last year due to concerns over funding and representation.