Apple Faces Record $5.7 Billion Patent Verdict Over Haptic Technology

A US jury has ordered Apple to pay more than $5.7 billion to San Diego-based technology company Taction after finding that the iPhone maker infringed patents covering technology used to produce haptic feedback in its devices.

 

The verdict is the largest patent infringement award involving haptic technology to date, according to the case record. Apple said it plans to appeal.

 

The dispute centres on Apple’s Taptic Engine, a technology that produces the tapping and vibration sensations users experience when interacting with devices such as iPhones and Apple Watches. The jury found that the system infringed two patents owned by Taction.

 

Apple rejected the finding, arguing that its technology is fundamentally different from Taction’s patented inventions.

 

“Apple does not use Taction’s technology, and we will appeal,” the company said in a statement.

 

Apple also argued that testing of its products conducted by Taction itself during the trial supported its position that the technologies were different.

 

Taction welcomed the verdict. Lance Yang, an attorney for the company, said the jury had recognised the validity of Taction’s patent rights.

 

The company, which develops haptic technology for products including headphones and gaming headsets, filed the lawsuit against Apple in 2021.

 

Apple denied infringing the patents and challenged their validity during the litigation. The case has already gone through several stages of the US judicial system.

 

A federal judge in San Diego ruled in 2023 that Apple had not infringed Taction’s patents. Taction subsequently challenged that decision, and the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit revived the case last year, allowing the patent dispute to proceed.

 

The latest jury verdict now leaves Apple facing one of the largest patent-related damages awards in the technology sector, although the amount could still change during post-trial proceedings and the appeals process.

 

The case highlights the growing importance of haptic technology, which allows electronic devices to communicate information through physical sensations such as vibrations and taps. Such systems have become an increasingly common feature of smartphones, wearable devices, gaming equipment and other consumer electronics.

 

For Apple, the dispute concerns technology embedded in some of its most widely used products. The company’s planned appeal means the litigation is likely to continue, and the final amount payable could depend on the outcome of further proceedings.

 

Taction’s victory also adds to a series of high-value patent disputes involving major technology companies, in which smaller patent holders have sought compensation for the alleged use of their inventions in widely distributed consumer products.

 

The jury’s decision does not by itself end the case. Apple can challenge the verdict through post-trial motions and appellate proceedings, leaving the ultimate outcome subject to further judicial review.

 

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