US Jury Orders Apple to Pay $5.7 Billion Over Patent Infringement
A federal jury has ruled that Apple must pay more than $5.7 billion for infringing on haptic feedback patents held by San Diego company Taction, in what could become one of the largest patent payouts in US history. Apple says it will appeal.
A US federal jury has ordered Apple to pay more than $5.7 billion after finding the company infringed on two patents related to haptic feedback technology. The lawsuit was brought by Taction, a San Diego-based company that makes audio and gaming peripherals with haptic features.
Should the verdict stand, it would rank among the largest patent infringement payouts in US history, surpassing an ongoing case against Intel worth $3 billion.
A years-long legal battle
Taction originally filed the lawsuit in 2021, alleging that Apple's Taptic Engine — used across various iPhone and Apple Watch models — violated two of its patents. A federal judge in San Diego dismissed the case in 2023, but it was later revived following a ruling from the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
The jury's verdict, issued last Friday, found that Apple unintentionally infringed on the two Taction patents. According to Bloomberg Law, Apple disputes both the verdict and the damages awarded, and intends to appeal.
Not Apple's first haptic patent dispute
Before the Taction case, Apple faced a similar lawsuit from Immersion, which also accused the company of infringing on haptic technology patents used in iPhones, Apple Watches and MacBooks. That case was resolved through an undisclosed settlement.
Apple is also currently fighting another patent dispute involving the Apple Watch's blood-oxygen tracking feature. In November, a separate federal jury ruled that Apple owes $634 million to Masimo over patent violations, a verdict Apple likewise plans to appeal.
