Jury orders Apple to pay $5.7 billion in Taction patent case
A US jury ruled that Apple infringed Taction Technology patents tied to its Taptic Engine and awarded Taction $5.7 billion. Apple disputed the verdict and damages and said it would appeal.
A US jury ruled that Apple infringed Taction Technology patents related to the company’s Taptic Engine haptic-feedback hardware. Apple was ordered to pay $5.7 billion.
The case concerns two patents covering a module that applies vibrational forces to a wearer’s skin. Taction filed the lawsuit in 2021, alleging that Apple infringed the patents directly and indirectly.
The patents and Taptic Engine
Taction argued that Apple’s Taptic Engine uses its technology to provide haptic signals for notifications, button presses and other interactions. The Taptic Engine debuted in the Apple Watch in 2014 and reached the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus the following year, replacing the older vibration motor.
Apple said it strongly disagreed with the verdict and the damages award. The company said its Taptic Engine was fundamentally different from Taction’s technology and that it would appeal the decision.
The companies’ positions
Taction’s lead counsel said the company was pleased with the jury’s decision and had waited five and a half years for the case to reach trial. The California-based company describes itself as an audio technology developer and says its Transporter Technology powers Corsair HS60 Haptic headphones.
What we know
- A jury ruled that Apple infringed two Taction Technology patents.
- Apple was ordered to pay $5.7 billion.
- The patents cover a module for applying vibrations to a wearer’s skin.
- Apple said it would appeal the verdict.
Trust: Single source
- The story relies on one publisher. A second independent confirmation has not been established from the cited sources.
- Sources: 9to5Mac.
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