SAN DIEGO: A US jury ordered Apple to pay San Diego-based Taction more than $5.7 billion after finding that its Taptic Engine infringed two haptic-technology patents.
Apple said it would appeal the verdict and denied using Taction’s technology. The dispute centres on Apple’s Taptic Engine, which generates tapping vibrations in iPhones and Apple Watches.
Jurors found on Friday that the technology infringed two Taction patents. “Apple does not use Taction’s technology, and we will appeal,” the company said.
Apple argued that its Taptic Engine is fundamentally different from Taction’s technology. It also maintained that the patents were invalid.
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Taction attorney Lance Yang welcomed the verdict and said the jury had vindicated the company’s patent rights. Taction, which uses its technology in headphones and gaming headsets, filed the lawsuit in 2021.
A San Diego federal judge ruled in 2023 that Apple had not infringed the patents. The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit revived the case last year, allowing the dispute to return to court.
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Apple’s planned appeal now puts the verdict before another stage of review. A US jury ordered Apple to pay Taction more than $5.7 billion after finding that its Taptic Engine infringed two haptic-technology patents.
