Apple ordered to pay over $5.7 billion for patent infringement

A federal jury in San Diego has ruled that Apple will have to pay more than $5.7 billion to Taction, a company specializing in haptic technologies. The verdict closes, at least in the first instance, a lawsuit started in 2021, when the company accused the Cupertino group of infringing two of its patents.

At the center of the proceeding are US patents 10,659,885 and 10,820,117, which concern a system of vibration-based tactile transducers, designed to make the user perceive the response of a device to his commands. According to Taction, the Taptic Engine, the component that produces tactile feedback on the Apple Watch and iPhone, exploits technology it developed and used without an appropriate license.

The jury ruled in favor of the company, finding infringement of two claims of one patent and one claim of the other. However, it did not consider that the infringement was intentional, a relevant point because malicious conduct can lead to an increase in the sums owed. Taction had claimed that Apple reverse-engineered the technology into two Kannon gaming headsets. Apple has said it intends to appeal the decision.