Apple ordered to pay $5.7 billion in damages over haptics patent case
A federal jury in San Diego has ordered Apple to pay Taction more than $5.7 billion in damages after finding the company infringed two of the haptics firm's patents. Apple says it plans to appeal.
Haptics technology company Taction filed a lawsuit against Apple in 2021, alleging the tech giant had infringed two of its patents. A federal jury in San Diego has now ruled in Taction's favor, awarding the company more than $5.7 billion in damages.
What the case was about
According to CNBC, the lawsuit centered on U.S. Patent Nos. 10,659,885 and 10,820,117, both covering vibration-based, tactile transducer technology that lets users feel a device responding to their input.
Taction claimed that the Taptic Engine used in Apple's iPhones and Apple Watches relied on technology the company had developed, without Apple obtaining a proper license. Taction further alleged that Apple had reverse-engineered the technology from two Kannon gaming headsets.
The jury's findings
The jury sided with Taction, finding that Apple had infringed two claims in one patent and one claim in the other. However, jurors did not find that the infringement was willful.
Apple has stated it intends to appeal the ruling. The company has not yet provided additional comment on the case.
