San Diego Jury Orders Apple to Pay Over $5.7 Billion in Haptic Patent Case
A federal jury in San Diego ordered Apple to pay over $5.7 billion in damages to Taction Technology for infringing on two haptic feedback patents.
A federal jury in San Diego ordered Apple to pay more than $5.7 billion in damages to Taction Technology after finding the tech giant infringed on two patents related to haptic feedback technology.
Legal Battle and Patent Dispute
According to reports by CNBC, Taction originally filed the lawsuit against Apple in 2021 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California. Taction alleged that Apple improperly utilized its innovations by selling devices that incorporate patented vibration technology without proper authorization or licensing. Although Apple initially succeeded in getting the case dismissed in 2023, the U.S. Federal Court of Appeals subsequently revived the litigation.
While we thank the jury for considering the matter, we strongly disagree with the verdict and the damages awarded, which are entirely unsupported by the facts, Apple stated in an official response.
Apple's Response and Upcoming Appeal
Apple maintained that its proprietary Taptic Engine differs fundamentally from Taction's technology, pointing to tests conducted by Taction itself during the proceedings. The company confirmed it plans to appeal the decision.
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Total damages awarded exceed $5.7 billion.
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The trial involved two U.S. patents concerning vibration-based haptic transducers.
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The jury deliberated for two days following a trial that commenced on September 14.
Lance Yang, lead counsel for Taction and a partner at Quinn Emanuel, expressed satisfaction with the jury's confirmation of the company's patent rights after a five-and-a-half-year wait for trial.
