Apple has been ordered by a federal jury in California to pay $5.7 billion in damages after the jury found that its Taptic Engine technology infringed two patents held by Taction Technology. The case, filed in 2021, centers on haptic-feedback technology used in the iPhone and Apple Watch.
The patents at issue are U.S. Patent Nos. 10,659,885 and 10,820,117, which cover technologies for generating vibrations. Taction argued that Apple used its inventions in the Taptic Engine, the component behind tactile feedback on the company’s devices. The case is Taction Technology v. Apple, No. 3:21-cv-00812, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California.
Apple introduced the Taptic Engine with the Apple Watch in 2014 before bringing it to the iPhone 6s lineup in 2015. The component took on a larger role in the iPhone 7, including support for its non-mechanical Home button.
Apple says its Taptic Engine is fundamentally different from Taction’s patented technology and maintains that tests presented by Taction during the trial support its position. The company plans to appeal, leaving the $5.7 billion jury award subject to further court proceedings.
