Jury Orders Apple to Pay $5.7 Billion in Taction Haptics Patent Lawsuit

A federal jury has ordered Apple to pay more than $5.7 billion to Taction after finding that the hardware maker infringed two patents covering haptic feedback technology, Engadget reported (https://www.engadget.com/2269826/apple-hit-with-a-57-billion-verdict-for-alleged-patent-infringement/).

The verdict targets Apple's Taptic Engine, the component responsible for tactile vibrations across several generations of iPhone and Apple Watch models. If the award survives appeal, it would rank among the largest patent infringement payouts in U.S. judicial history, exceeding an ongoing $3 billion judgment involving Intel.

Taction, a San Diego firm that manufactures audio and gaming peripherals equipped with haptic feedback, filed the initial lawsuit in 2021. A federal judge in San Diego dismissed the complaint in 2023, but the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit subsequently revived the case and sent it to trial.

The jury found that Apple's infringement of the two haptic patents was unintentional, though it still assessed damages in excess of $5.7 billion. Apple disagreed with the liability finding and the damages figure and intends to appeal the verdict, according to Bloomberg Law.

The ruling adds to Apple's ongoing intellectual property disputes over hardware components. The company previously settled a haptic patent lawsuit from Immersion covering iPhones, Apple Watches, and MacBooks for an undisclosed sum. Apple is also appealing a separate November jury award of $634 million won by medical device maker Masimo over blood-oxygen monitoring features in the Apple Watch.