Jury awards Taction over $5.7 billion after finding Apple infringed haptic patents

A San Diego federal jury found that Apple’s Taptic Engine, which generates tactile feedback in its smartphones and smartwatches, infringed two patents owned by Taction, a company that supplies haptic technology for headphones and gaming headsets. The jury awarded Taction more than $5.7 billion in damages, marking the largest patent verdict of its kind in the United States. Apple disputed the claim, arguing the patents are invalid and that its technology differs fundamentally, and said it will appeal the decision.

Taction’s lawyer, Lance Yang, expressed satisfaction that the jury upheld the firm’s patent rights. The dispute originated with a 2021 lawsuit and was revived last year by the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit after a 2023 district judge had ruled in Apple’s favor. Both parties are now preparing for the next phase of litigation.