A federal jury in San Diego has ruled that Apple must pay Taction Technology more than $5.7 billion in damages after finding that the company infringed two of Taction’s patents.
Taction Technology, a company specializing in haptics technology, filed a lawsuit against Apple in 2021. It alleged that Apple had improperly profited from its innovations and success by selling devices that used its vibration technology without authorization. The case was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California. Apple initially secured the dismissal of the lawsuit in 2023, but the Federal Circuit later revived the case.
The dispute centers on U.S. Patent Nos. 10,659,885 and 10,820,117. Both cover vibration-based tactile transducer technology that allows users to feel a device responding to their input. Taction argued that Apple’s “Taptic Engine,” which is built into iPhones and Apple Watches, uses its inventions without the appropriate license or authorization.
In a statement to CNBC, Apple said it strongly disagreed with the jury’s verdict and the damages awarded. The company argued that its Taptic Engine is fundamentally different from Taction’s technology and said that Taction’s own testing of Apple products during the trial confirmed this. Apple stated that it does not use Taction’s technology and would appeal the decision.
Taction’s lead counsel, Lance Yang, a partner at Quinn Emanuel, welcomed the verdict, saying the company was pleased that the jury had upheld its patent rights. He added that Taction had waited five and a half years for the case to reach trial.
The jury trial began on September 14. The seven jurors deliberated for two days after the proceedings concluded before returning a verdict in Taction’s favor at 1:15 p.m. PT on Friday, September 26.
However, the jury did not find that Apple’s infringement was willful. Apple has vowed to appeal the ruling.
