Image Courtesy: Reuters
A U.S. jury has ordered Apple to pay more than $5.7 billion to San Diego-based Taction after finding that the company’s iPhone and Apple Watch technology infringed two patents covering haptic feedback systems.
The verdict, issued Friday, represents the largest patent infringement award of its kind in the United States, according to Reuters. Apple has rejected the allegations and said it plans to appeal the decision.
The case centers on Apple’s Taptic Engine, the technology responsible for the tapping and vibration sensations produced by devices including iPhones and Apple Watches. Taction argued that the system infringes two of its patents covering technology designed to generate haptic feedback.
Apple disputed that conclusion throughout the case. In a statement following the verdict, the company said its Taptic Engine is fundamentally different from Taction’s technology and pointed to testing of Apple’s products conducted during the trial.
“Apple does not use Taction’s technology, and we will appeal,” the company said.
Taction, which develops haptic technology for headphones and gaming headsets, originally filed the lawsuit against Apple in 2021. The company alleged that Apple’s products incorporated technology covered by its patents without authorization. Apple denied the allegations and argued that the patents themselves were invalid.
The legal dispute had previously appeared to be resolved in Apple’s favor. A federal judge in San Diego ruled in 2023 that Apple had not infringed Taction’s patents. However, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit revived the case last year, allowing the claims to proceed to trial.
Taction welcomed Friday’s verdict. “We’re happy the jury found for Taction and vindicated its patent rights,” said Lance Yang, an attorney representing the company.
The size of the award makes the case particularly significant for Apple, although the final amount and outcome could change as the company pursues its appeal. Patent cases can also involve further proceedings concerning damages and the scope or validity of the patents involved.
Apple’s appeal could therefore extend the dispute for years, leaving the ultimate financial liability unresolved. The case also highlights the growing legal importance of haptic technology as tactile feedback becomes increasingly common across smartphones, wearables, gaming hardware and other consumer electronics.
