A federal jury in San Diego orders Apple to pay Taction Technology more than $5.7 billion in damages, finding that Apple’s haptic technology infringes two patents owned by the San Diego-based company. The patents cover vibration-based tactile transducer technology used in devices to produce tapping or feedback vibrations.
Multiple outlets report that the case focuses on Apple’s “Taptic Engine,” used in iPhones and Apple Watch models, which the jury determined infringes Taction’s claims. Several reports also say the jury does not find willful infringement. Reuters and others are cited for the characterization of the award as a record-sized patent verdict in the US.
Outlets also describe the procedural background and differing emphasis on timing and outcomes. Taction sued Apple in 2021. Apple initially secured dismissal in 2023, but the Federal Circuit later revived the case. Reporting notes the jury trial starts in mid-September and concludes with a verdict released on Friday. Apple says it plans to appeal and disputes both the infringement finding and the damages, while Taction frames the result as vindication of its patent rights.
