A federal jury in San Diego has ordered Apple to pay Taction Technology more than $5.7 billion after determining the tech giant infringed upon two patents related to haptic feedback systems used in iPhones and Apple Watches.
The verdict, delivered on Friday, concludes a legal battle that began when Taction filed suit against Apple in 2021 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California. Taction alleged that Apple was improperly profiting from its innovations by selling devices containing vibration-based tactile transducer technology without proper licensing.
The case initially faced a dismissal in 2023, but the Federal Circuit later revived the claims, allowing the lawsuit to proceed to trial. The litigation centered on U.S. Patent Nos. 10,659,885 and 10,820,117, which cover technologies that enable users to feel tactile responses from their devices. Taction argued that Apple’s “Taptic Engine” utilizes these inventions without authorization.
Jury proceedings commenced on September 14, with deliberations lasting two days. The seven jurors returned at 1:15 p.m. Pacific Time on Friday to deliver the ruling in favor of Taction. Notably, the jury did not find that Apple’s infringement was willful, a distinction that can impact the scope of damages awarded.
Apple responded to the verdict by vowing to appeal. In a statement provided to Bloomberg Law, the company asserted that it does not use Taction’s technology. Representatives for both Apple and Taction did not immediately return requests for comment from CNBC regarding the outcome.
The financial impact of this verdict represents one of the larger patent infringement judgments in recent history, highlighting ongoing tensions between major hardware manufacturers and specialized technology licensors over intellectual property rights.
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