Britain’s Competition Appeal Tribunal has allowed part of a revived consumer lawsuit against Apple and Amazon to proceed. The lawsuit claims the companies restricted competition in the sale of Apple products on Amazon’s UK website.
The claim centres on a 2018 agreement between the two companies. It alleges that the deal limited which sellers could offer Apple and Beats-branded products on Amazon UK, reducing competition between sellers and pushing up prices for consumers.
The tribunal issued its decision on Monday, September 28, 2026. Both Apple and Amazon deny wrongdoing.
Key Facts at a Glance
| Detail | What the Reports Confirm |
|---|---|
| Court | UK Competition Appeal Tribunal (three-judge panel) |
| Decision date | September 28, 2026 |
| Companies | Apple and Amazon |
| Alleged conduct | 2018 agreement limiting which sellers could offer Apple and Beats products on Amazon UK |
| Claim allowed | Apple products bought through Amazon’s UK marketplace |
| Claim rejected | Apple products bought directly from Apple or from other retailers |
| Value of surviving claim | £289 million to £306 million (about $383 million at the lower end), including interest, according to the claimant |
| Proposed class representative | Justin Le Patourel |
| Judge | Kelyn Bacon |
| Apple’s position | Strongly disagrees; says the agreement aimed to tackle counterfeits |
| Amazon’s position | Welcomes the decision; says the remaining claim is without merit |
What the Tribunal Allowed and Rejected
The tribunal split the claim into two parts.
Allowed to proceed: Claims about Apple products bought through Amazon’s UK marketplace. The tribunal said there was a realistic basis for arguing that restrictions on resellers could have led to higher prices for consumers buying Apple products on Amazon.
Judge Kelyn Bacon described these claims as “plausible, credible and grounded in the facts.”
Rejected: A broader claim covering Apple products bought directly from Apple or from other retailers. The tribunal found this part relied on a complicated and speculative theory of how consumers were harmed. It said there wasn’t enough evidence at this stage to show the alleged conduct also raised prices at Apple’s own stores or other retailers.
The claimant says the surviving part of the case could be worth £289 million to £306 million, including interest.
What Apple and Amazon Say
Apple said it strongly disagrees with the claims. It says its aim in making the agreement with Amazon was to tackle counterfeit products on the marketplace.
Amazon welcomed the tribunal’s decision and said the remaining claim is “without merit.” An Amazon spokesperson added that the company is confident this will become clear as the case proceeds.
Second Attempt After a Rejected Claim
This isn’t the first time the claim has come before the tribunal.
Last year, the same tribunal refused to allow a largely similar lawsuit brought by consumer law academic Christine Riefa. The refusal wasn’t about the substance of the allegations. The tribunal had concerns about the proposed class representative and the litigation funding arrangements.
The claim was then refiled with Justin Le Patourel replacing Riefa as the proposed representative of consumers. A spokesperson for Le Patourel welcomed Monday’s ruling, but said it was disappointing that parts of the claim weren’t certified.
Case Timeline
| When | What Happened |
|---|---|
| 2018 | Apple and Amazon reach the agreement at the centre of the claim |
| 2025 | Tribunal refuses Christine Riefa’s version of the claim over class representative and funding concerns |
| After refusal | Claim refiled with Justin Le Patourel as proposed representative |
| September 28, 2026 | Tribunal allows the Amazon marketplace portion to proceed and rejects the wider claim |
What the Ruling Does and Doesn’t Mean
It does mean that UK consumers’ claims about Apple products bought on Amazon’s marketplace can move forward in court.
It doesn’t mean Apple or Amazon broke the law. At this stage, the tribunal only decides whether a claim is strong enough to proceed. Whether competition law was actually broken will be decided later in the case.
What This Means for Amazon Sellers (Expert Analysis)
In more than a decade of advising brands and resellers on Amazon, I’ve seen restrictions on who can sell a brand’s products cause more conflict than almost any other issue. This case goes straight to the heart of it.
1. Brand-controlled distribution isn’t beyond challenge.
Amazon has given brands more control in 2026 over who can list their products, through its authorized reseller and Brand Elevation rules. This case doesn’t change those rules. It does show that when a brand and a marketplace agree to limit resellers, consumers can challenge that arrangement if they believe it raised prices.
2. The reason for restrictions matters.
Apple’s defence rests on fighting counterfeits. Brands that run authorized reseller programs should clearly document their reasons, such as counterfeit prevention, product quality or customer service, and keep restrictions proportionate to those goals.
3. Nothing changes for resellers yet.
This decision doesn’t reopen access to Apple products on Amazon UK or any other gated brand. The case will take time. Resellers and brands should follow it, but nobody should change their business model based on this ruling alone.
Expert View
Brands want control over who sells their products, while competition law protects shoppers’ access to lower prices through competing sellers. This ruling is an early step, not a verdict. Still, a UK tribunal has now found credible grounds to argue that limiting resellers on Amazon may have cost consumers money. Anyone who builds or benefits from brand-gating arrangements should watch how this case develops.
Frequently Asked Questions
1 . What is the Apple and Amazon UK lawsuit about?
It alleges that Apple and Amazon agreed in 2018 to limit which sellers could offer Apple and Beats-branded products on Amazon’s UK website, reducing competition and inflating prices.
2 . What did the UK tribunal decide?
On September 28, 2026, the Competition Appeal Tribunal allowed claims about Apple products bought through Amazon’s UK marketplace to proceed. It rejected a broader claim covering products bought directly from Apple or other retailers.
3 . How much is the claim worth?
According to the claimant, the part of the case allowed to proceed could be worth £289 million to £306 million, including interest.
4 . Why was part of the claim rejected?
The tribunal said there wasn’t enough evidence at this stage that the alleged conduct raised prices at Apple’s own stores or other retailers. It found that part of the claim relied on a complex and speculative theory of harm.
5 . Who is bringing the lawsuit?
Justin Le Patourel is the proposed representative of consumers. He replaced consumer law academic Christine Riefa, whose largely similar claim was refused last year.
6 . What have Apple and Amazon said?
Apple strongly disagrees with the claims and says the agreement aimed to tackle counterfeit products. Amazon welcomed the decision and says the remaining claim is without merit.
7 . Does this mean Apple and Amazon broke competition law?
No. The ruling only allows part of the claim to proceed. Whether the law was broken will be decided later in the case.
