Apple and Amazon face renewed legal action in the UK over allegations that their 2018 agreement restricted competition in Apple product sales.
The UK Competition Appeal Tribunal has allowed part of a previously dismissed consumer lawsuit to proceed. The remaining claim focuses on Apple products that consumers bought through Amazon’s marketplace. However, the tribunal rejected a separate claim involving purchases from Apple and other retailers.
2018 Apple-Amazon Deal Faces Fresh Scrutiny
Apple and Amazon reached an agreement in 2018 that allowed regional Amazon stores to sell Apple and Beats products. However, the arrangement later attracted legal challenges in both the UK and United States.
The UK lawsuit alleges that the agreement limited the ability of independent retailers to sell Apple hardware through Amazon. Consequently, the claim argues that reduced competition may have increased prices for consumers.
The tribunal found a “reasonable and realistic” basis for examining whether reseller restrictions harmed Amazon marketplace customers. However, it found insufficient support for claims involving prices elsewhere. The judge described that wider argument as relying on a “complex and speculative theory of harm.”
Lawsuit Returns With a New Representative
The UK case previously ended in January 2025. Consumer law academic Christine Riefa originally brought the mass claim.
At that time, the tribunal raised concerns about the proposed class representative and litigation funding. However, an updated lawsuit launched in December 2025 with Justin Le Patourel as the new representative.
Meanwhile, a related US lawsuit filed in 2022 ended in September 2025.
Apple and Amazon Reject Remaining Claim
Both companies dispute the allegations. Apple says it strongly disagrees with the claims and maintains that its Amazon agreement aimed to combat counterfeit products.
Amazon welcomed the tribunal’s decision on the rejected portion. However, it described the remaining claim as “without merit.”
Le Patourel’s legal team estimates the surviving case could be worth at least £289 million, or about $383 million, if successful. The earlier version of the lawsuit sought a larger amount of about $602 million.
