Apple has been ordered by a U.S. jury to pay more than $5.7 billion to San Diego-based Taction after jurors found that the company’s technology for haptic feedback in iPhones and Apple Watches infringed two Taction patents.
The verdict, issued Friday, involves Apple’s Taptic Engine, the technology responsible for the tapping and vibration sensations users feel on Apple devices.
Apple said it plans to appeal the decision, which has been described as the largest patent infringement verdict in the U.S. to date.
“Apple’s Taptic Engine is fundamentally different from Taction’s technology, which Taction’s own testing of Apple’s products confirmed during trial,” Apple said in a statement.
“Apple does not use Taction’s technology, and we will appeal,” the company added.
Taction’s attorney Lance Yang welcomed the jury’s decision.
“We’re happy the jury found for Taction and vindicated its patent rights,” Yang said.
Taction filed the lawsuit against Apple in 2021, alleging that Apple had used its patented technology without permission. The San Diego-based company develops haptic technology used in products including headphones and gaming headsets.
Apple has denied the allegations and argued that Taction’s patents were invalid.
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The legal battle took another turn last year when the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit revived the case. That followed a 2023 ruling by a San Diego federal judge that Apple had not infringed Taction’s patents.
The latest jury verdict now puts the dispute back in the spotlight, although Apple’s planned appeal means the case is not necessarily over.
The outcome could have broader implications for Apple as it continues to rely on haptic technology across its hardware lineup, particularly features built around the Taptic Engine in products such as the iPhone and Apple Watch.