A federal jury has ordered Apple to pay more than $5.7 billion to Taction, a San Diego company that makes audio and gaming peripherals with haptic feedback, after finding the iPhone maker infringed on its patents. The verdict, reached on Friday, could become one of the largest patent payouts in US history if it stands. It would top an ongoing case involving Intel valued at $3 billion.
Taction filed its lawsuit in 2021, claiming that the Taptic Engine used in Apple's iPhone and Apple Watch models violated two of its patents covering haptic feedback. A federal judge in San Diego dismissed the case in 2023. It was later revived after a decision by the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit a couple of years later. The jury found that Apple's infringement was unintentional.
Apple disputed both the jury's finding and the damages amount, and the company plans to appeal, according to Bloomberg Law. The case now moves into the appeals process, where the verdict and the award could be challenged.
The Taction verdict is not Apple's first legal fight over haptic technology. Immersion previously filed a complaint against Apple, also accusing the company of patent violations tied to haptic tech in iPhones, Apple Watches and MacBooks. That case was eventually settled for an undisclosed amount.
Apple is also contending with a separate patent dispute involving its Apple Watch and a blood-oxygen tracking feature. In November, another federal jury ruled that Apple must pay $634 million for violating patents held by Masimo. Apple is similarly planning to appeal that verdict.
The $5.7 billion award to Taction would rank among the largest patent infringement payouts in the United States, according to the terms of the verdict. Apple has not agreed with the outcome, and its planned appeal means the final figure could change.
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