Home / Technology / Apple Hit With Record $5.7 Billion Patent Verdict
Apple Hit With Record $5.7 Billion Patent Verdict
26 Sep
Summary
- Apple must pay $5.7 billion for infringing Taction's haptic feedback patents.
- The lawsuit alleged iPhone and Apple Watch Taptic Engine violated patents.
- Apple plans to appeal the federal jury's infringement decision.
A federal jury has ordered Apple to pay a record-breaking $5.7 billion to Taction, a company specializing in audio and gaming peripherals with haptic feedback. This decision stems from a lawsuit filed in 2021, where Taction accused Apple of infringing on two of its patents concerning haptic feedback technology used in the iPhone's Taptic Engine and Apple Watch models.
Initially dismissed in 2023, the case was revived by the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. The jury determined that Apple unintentionally violated Taction's patents. However, Apple has indicated its intent to appeal, disputing both the jury's decision and the awarded damages.
This is not Apple's first encounter with patent infringement claims regarding haptic technology. The company previously settled a similar lawsuit with Immersion for an undisclosed amount. Furthermore, Apple is currently involved in another significant patent battle concerning its Apple Watch blood-oxygen tracking feature, where a November ruling mandated a $634 million payment to Masimo, a decision Apple is also appealing.
