British Tribunal Revives Apple-Amazon Antitrust Lawsuit
Britain’s Competition Appeal Tribunal has allowed part of a renewed antitrust lawsuit against Apple and Amazon to move forward.
The case concerns allegations that Apple and Amazon reached an agreement in 2018 that restricted which third-party sellers could offer Apple and Beats products on Amazon’s UK marketplace.
The claimant argues that the agreement reduced competition and contributed to higher prices for consumers. The proposed case is being brought on behalf of millions of people in the United Kingdom who purchased Apple products through Amazon.
According to the Competition Appeal Tribunal’s judgment, the proposed collective action could represent an estimated 28.9 million consumers. The tribunal’s ruling allows claims involving Apple products purchased through Amazon’s marketplace to proceed.
However, the tribunal rejected another part of the proposed case. Claims relating to Apple products bought directly from Apple or through other retail channels will not continue under the certified proceedings.
The tribunal’s decision does not mean that Apple or Amazon has been found guilty of breaking competition law. It only allows part of the consumer case to continue so that the allegations can be examined through the legal process.
The lawsuit is linked to an agreement between the two companies that allegedly limited the number of independent sellers allowed to sell new Apple and Beats products on Amazon’s UK website.
The claimant says the arrangement removed competing sellers from the platform. With fewer sellers offering the products, consumers may have faced less choice and higher prices.
Apple has rejected the allegations. Reuters reported that an Apple spokesperson said the company strongly disagreed with the claims and argued that the agreement was designed to address counterfeit products on Amazon’s marketplace.
Amazon has previously said that Apple determined which sellers could offer new Apple products in its store. The company has also pointed out that other merchants could continue selling refurbished and pre-owned devices through Amazon Renewed.
The case was initially brought by Christine Riefa Class Representative Limited. The earlier proceedings faced difficulties over whether the proposed representative and funding arrangements met the legal requirements for a collective action.
The Competition Appeal Tribunal’s official case records show that the renewed proceedings were filed under a new class representative, JLP A&A Class Representative Limited. A certification hearing was held in June 2026 before the tribunal.
9to5Mac reported that the original case accused Apple and Amazon of reducing competition and increasing prices for people buying Apple and Beats products in Britain. The publication also explained that the latest case is a renewed action rather than simply the old claim being reopened.
The tribunal’s decision could now lead to further examination of the agreement, the sellers affected and the prices paid by consumers. If the claim eventually succeeds, eligible consumers could seek compensation.
