The UK’s Competition Appeal Tribunal has rejected a lawsuit claiming that Apple and Amazon colluded to fix the price of Apple products and reduce competition, according to a Reuters report.
In a somewhat unusual move, the tribunal has ruled that the case cannot continue to trial. The tribunal often allows claimants to pursue cases further.
The mass lawsuit (the British equivalent of a class-action lawsuit), was brought by consumer law academic and professor of law, Christine Riefa, on behalf of potentially 36 million British consumers who bought Apple or Beats products.
Riefa claimed that Apple and Amazon colluded over price fixing in 2018. She valued the case at $602 million, plus interest.
For their part, Apple and Amazon argued that the case was without merit. The two companies asked that the tribunal refuse to allow it to proceed.
The Competition Appeal Tribunal concluded that the claimant had not demonstrated “sufficient independence or robustness” to represent an entire class of claimants.
