UK Apple and Amazon Claim

This website has been created to inform members of the public about the opt-out collective claim brought by JLP A&A Class Representative Limited, led by Justin Le Patourel, against Apple and Amazon in respect of unlawful anticompetitive agreements they entered into which restricted third parties from reselling Apple and Beats products on the Amazon Marketplace.

The claim is against several entities within the Apple and Amazon groups of companies:

• Apple:
  • Apple Inc.
  • Apple Distribution International Limited
• Amazon:
  • Amazon.com Inc
  • Amazon Europe Core S.à.r.l
  • Amazon EU S.à.r.l
  • Amazon.com Services LLC

Together, these entities are referred to as “Apple and Amazon”.

The proposed claim before the Competition Appeal Tribunal (the “Tribunal”) alleges that Apple and Amazon have breached competition law by entering into and implementing unlawful anticompetitive agreements which restricted third parties from reselling Apple and Beats products on Amazon. As a result of this breach, consumers paid inflated prices for those products when buying them from UK retailers – whether online (including through apps) or in physical stores – outside of a mobile provider contract, from 31 October 2018 up to 15 December 2025, which is when the claim was filed. It is alleged that all affected consumers are entitled to compensation.

The conduct at issue has also been the subject of regulatory proceedings in Italy and Spain and is under investigation by the German competition authority. The proceedings in Italy and Spain have already found that the agreements were anti-competitive, albeit the Italian decision was annulled on procedural grounds without any criticism made of the factual or economic findings and is now under appeal.

Provided the conditions set out in Question 12, ‘Do I qualify to take part in the collective claim?’ are met, all Apple and Beats electronic products you have purchased are included within the claim, including:

• iPhones;
• iPads;
• iMacs;
• MacBooks;
• Apple TVs;
• HomePods;
• Apple Watches;
• iPods;
• AirPods;
• EarPods;
• Ancillary electronics devices such as monitors, keyboards, mouses, Trackpads, Apple Pencils, Apple Remotes, power adaptors, chargers, cables, connectors, and cases; and
• Beats wired and wireless headphones and earphones.

However, purchases of any of these products are not included if they were purchased as part of a mobile network operator contract.

JLP A&A Class Representative Limited has applied to the Tribunal to act as the class representative on behalf of all individuals who fall within the proposed class. If the Tribunal grants it permission to take on this role, JLP A&A Class Representative Limited will bring the claim to the Tribunal on behalf of those individuals.

JLP A&A Class Representative Limited is a company formed by Justin Le Patourel (who is its sole director and member) specifically for the purpose of bringing this claim against Apple and Amazon. Mr Le Patourel is a consultant in telecoms, broadcast and internet regulation, with a focus on competition and consumer protection issues. He previously held senior roles at Ofcom and has significant hands-on experience of the UK’s collective proceedings regime, having acted as the class representative in Justin Le Patourel v BT Group PLC (Case No. 1381/7/7/21).

The Tribunal will decide whether to grant a Collective Proceedings Order by considering whether: (a) JLP A&A Class Representative Limited is a suitable class representative to bring the claim; and (b) the claims are eligible for inclusion in collective proceedings.

Hausfeld & Co. LLP are the lawyers providing legal advice and support to JLP A&A Class Representative Limited. Hausfeld & Co. LLP is a leading disputes-only law firm specialising in competition law, with significant expertise in all aspects of collective redress and group claims. In particular, Hausfeld & Co. LLP has extensive experience in managing litigation against global “Big Tech” companies, including opt-out collective claims such as these, and the recent successful claim against Apple on behalf of Dr Kent.

The collective claim is brought on an ‘opt-out’ basis for individuals domiciled in the UK.

If you are domiciled in the UK and fall within the definition of the ‘class’, you will automatically be included in JLP A&A Class Representative Limited’s proposed collective claim and will be bound by any judgment or settlement, unless you choose to opt out of the proceedings.

Please register your interest by clicking the ‘Stay up to date’ button on this website to ensure that you are notified of all developments in the claim.

The collective claim will be brought on an 'opt-out' basis for individuals domiciled in the UK.

If you are domiciled in the UK and fall within the definition of the ‘class’, you will automatically be included in JLP A&A Class Representative Limited’s proposed collective claim and will be bound by any judgment or settlement, unless you choose to 'opt-out' of the proceedings.

Please register your interest by clicking the ‘Stay up to date’ button on this website to ensure that you are notified of all developments in the claim.

JLP A&A Class Representative Limited proposes to act as the class representative. JLP A&A Class Representative Limited proposes to conduct the claim against Apple and Amazon on behalf of all class members, save those that choose to opt out of the claim. It will be open to class members to opt out once the claim is certified to proceed to trial.

If appointed as the class representative, JLP A&A Class Representative Limited will be responsible for communicating with and issuing formal notices to the class members and will so do via updates and announcements posted on the website www.ukappleamazonclaim.co.uk, email correspondence, and written notices where appropriate.

As a first step, JLP A&A Class Representative Limited filed the collective claim requesting that the Tribunal certifies that (a) the class representative is suitable to be authorised to represent the class and (b) that the claim is suitable to be brought as a collective claim.

The proposed claim is brought on largely the same legal basis as the claim in Christine Riefa Class Representative Limited v Apple Inc. and others (Case No. 1607/7/7/23), which was dismissed by the Tribunal on grounds unrelated to the legal basis for the proposed claim. Christine Riefa Class Representative Limited’s application for a Collective Proceedings Order was initially heard by the Tribunal in 2024. Ultimately, the Tribunal declined to certify the claim, concluding that Christine Riefa Class Representative Limited did not meet the authorisation condition required to act as class representative. Subsequently, a reconstituted proposed class representative – JLP A&A Class Representative Limited, with Justin Le Patourel as its sole director – filed a new application for a Collective Proceedings Order.

A hearing will be scheduled (with the date to be confirmed on this site), at which the Tribunal will consider whether to authorise JLP A&A Class Representative Limited to act as the class representative and whether the proposed claims are suitable to proceed as collective proceedings. Following this hearing, the Tribunal may 'certify' JLP A&A Class Representative Limited's claim (i.e., grant its application for a Collective Proceedings Order so the claim can proceed to trial) or may decline to do so.

If the collective claim proceeds all the way to trial (i.e. if it is not settled beforehand), the Tribunal will decide whether to make an aggregate award of damages. If made, the award will be distributed to class members based on a distribution method approved by the Tribunal. Generally, disputes of this scale take a number of years to resolve.

Please register by clicking the ‘Stay up to date’ button on this website to be notified of developments directly. To learn more about JLP A&A's proposed claim, please visit www.catribunal.org.uk.

The claim could settle at any point. Any settlement reached between JLP A&A Class Representative Limited and one or both of Apple and Amazon must first be approved by the Tribunal, who will consider whether the settlement terms are just and reasonable. If JLP A&A Class Representative Limited settles the claim in exchange for a sum of money from Apple and/or Amazon, that sum of money will be distributed to class members.

If you meet the criteria of the proposed class for the proposed collective claim (see below) you will automatically be included in the collective claim if the Tribunal certifies the claim (unless you opt out of it).

The class consists of all individuals, domiciled in the UK, who purchased Apple and Beats products from any retailer (online or in-store) in the UK other than as part of a mobile network operator contract since 31 October 2018.

To be a member of the class you must:

1. Have purchased one or more Apple or Beats products since 31 October 2018.
2. Have purchased new Apple or Beats products, rather than used and/or refurbished.
3. Have purchased the product(s) from a retailer (online or in-store) in the UK, other than as part of a mobile network operator contract.
4. Be an individual who does not have a business selling Apple or Beats products
5. Have been living in the UK when you made the purchase(s).

Purchases of mobile internet-enabled Apple products such as an iPhone, iPad or Apple Watch are within the claim provided they were not purchased as part of a mobile provider contract. For example, if you bought an iPhone on a 24-month contract from your mobile provider, your purchase is not within the claim.

At this stage, if you fall within the class that JLP A&A Class Representative Limited intends to represent, you do not need to take any steps to be included within the claim. Updates on any developments will promptly be posted on this website so that you can stay up to date. In addition, if you register your interest in the proposed collective claim, you will be notified of developments directly by email. If you registered for updates in the claim brought by Christine Riefa Class Representative Limited, you do not need to register again now - you will continue to be notified of developments in the claim brought by JLP A&A Class Representative Limited.

In the event that JLP A&A Class Representative secures compensation for the class, you will need to come forward and claim your share of any damages. Details of how to do this will be uploaded to this website in due course.

The claim seeks over £900 million in aggregate damages. Any award of aggregate damages will then need to be distributed to eligible class members.

As a class member, you will not incur any costs of taking part in the collective claim, nor will you be liable to Apple or Amazon for their costs should the collective claim be unsuccessful.

Yes, you can. We encourage you to discuss the case with colleagues, friends and family, as well as sharing updates on social media.

If you have questions or would like any further information, please contact JLP A&A Class Representative’s legal team here.

For media information please contact:

Palatine at ukAAclaim@palatine-media.com.