A United States jury has ordered Apple to pay more than $5.7 billion, equivalent to over ₹50,000 crore, in damages after finding that the company infringed two haptic feedback patents held by San Diego-based firm Taction. Delivered on Friday, the verdict determined that the Taptic Engine used across Apple’s iPhones and Apple Watches violates intellectual property owned by Taction. The Taptic Engine provides physical vibration responses corresponding to screen interactions such as taps and touches, a mechanism central to Apple’s modern device interfaces. Apple denied all allegations of wrongdoing and formally announced its intention to appeal the ruling.
Jury Finds Infringement in Device Vibration Systems
The legal clash dates back to 2021, when Taction filed a lawsuit asserting that Apple incorporated its patented haptic innovations directly into mobile devices and wearables. Taction primarily deploys its haptic technology in hardware such as headphones and gaming headsets to deliver responsive tactile sensations. Throughout the trial, Taction argued that Apple’s vibration features unlawfully relied on designs protected by its two patents. Apple vigorously contested both the infringement accusations and the underlying validity of the patents themselves. The jury rejected Apple’s defense, finding the tech giant liable for one of the largest patent-related damages sums ever awarded in a United States courtroom.
Apple Contests Findings and Points to Distinct Engineering
In response to the verdict, Apple maintained that the engineering within its products is fundamentally different from the architecture created by Taction. The company stated that Taction’s own testing of Apple devices during court proceedings substantiated notable mechanical differences between the two systems. Lance Yang, an attorney representing Taction, welcomed the outcome, stating that the jury rightly sided with the firm and upheld its lawful patent rights. Apple, however, affirmed that it does not employ Taction’s proprietary methods in any capacity and reiterated that the relevant patents should never have been deemed valid in relation to Apple’s internal components.
Protracted Litigation Heads Toward Federal Appeals
The dispute has already navigated multiple levels of the American judicial system prior to Friday’s verdict. In 2023, a federal judge in San Diego issued a ruling in Apple’s favor, holding that the company had not infringed Taction’s patents. That determination was subsequently overturned last year by the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, which revived Taction’s claims and cleared the path for a fresh trial. Because Apple intends to pursue an appeal against this latest jury decision, the ultimate enforceability of the $5.7 billion award and the final legal standing of the dispute remain unresolved pending further appellate proceedings.
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