Apple Ordered to Pay $5.7 Billion in Haptic Technology Patent Case
Taction, a haptic technology company, has secured a significant legal victory against Apple. A federal jury in San Diego determined that Apple infringed on Taction's patents related to haptic feedback technology, resulting in $5.7 billion in damages.
The case centered on U.S. Patent Nos. 10,659,885 and 10,820,117, which cover vibration-based tactile transducer technology. This technology enables users to feel their devices responding to touch input—the subtle vibrations that provide feedback when interacting with smartphones and smartwatches.
Taction filed the lawsuit in 2021, arguing that Apple's Taptic Engine, present in Apple Watches since the Series 1 and in iPhones since the iPhone 6s, utilized technology Taction had developed without proper licensing. The jury agreed, finding that Apple infringed on two claims in one patent and one claim in the other.
The $5.7 billion verdict represents one of the largest patent infringement awards in U.S. history. Apple has not yet indicated whether it plans to appeal the decision.