Apple hit with $5.7 billion in damages over haptic patents

A federal jury in San Diego has awarded haptics company Taction more than $5.7 billion after finding Apple infringed two of its patents related to vibration-based tactile transducer technology. The suit, filed in 2021, accused Apple’s Taptic Engine in iPhones and Apple Watches of using Taction’s technology without a license.

By AI Newsroom· Reviewed by Pranav, Founder & Editor-in-ChiefPublished 1 minute agoUpdated 1 minute ago0 views

Apple hit with $5.7 billion in damages over haptic patents

Why It Matters

The verdict is one of the largest patent damages awards against a major technology company and highlights legal and commercial risks tied to haptics and tactile feedback technology used in consumer devices. Apple has said it will appeal, so the final outcome may change through further proceedings.

Key Facts

Plaintiff: Taction
Defendant: Apple
Filed: 2021
Verdict location: Federal jury in San Diego
Damages awarded: Over $5.7 billion (per jury)

Taction, a company that develops haptics technology, sued Apple in 2021 claiming the iPhone and Apple Watch Taptic Engine used its inventions without a license. The case focused on two U.S. patents — Nos. 10,659,885 and 10,820,117 — which relate to vibration-based, tactile transducer systems that produce a tactile response when users interact with a device.

A federal jury in San Diego determined that Apple infringed two claims in one of the patents and one claim in the other, and awarded Taction more than $5.7 billion in damages. The jurors did not find that Apple willfully infringed the patents, according to reporting on the trial.

Taction alleged Apple had reverse-engineered its technology from two Kannon gaming headsets during product development. Apple has stated it intends to appeal the decision; the company’s appeal could change the damages or findings reached by the jury.

The dispute underscores how haptics — the tactile feedback technology built into many modern consumer devices — can be the subject of costly patent litigation. The case will proceed through post-trial and appellate steps after Apple files its appeal.