A federal jury in the United States has ruled that Apple must pay over $5.7 billion to Taction Technology for patent infringement. The verdict was delivered on Friday and pertains to the Taptic Engine technology that Apple uses for haptic feedback. The case was reported by livemint.com, thenews.com.pk, and en.softonic.com.
According to livemint.com, the jury concluded that Apple infringed on the patents but did not do so intentionally or knowingly.
Verdict on Taptic Engine Patent Infringement
The dispute revolves around two U.S. patents, numbers 10,659,885 and 10,820,117. Both describe a vibration module that transmits vibrations to the user's skin. Taction claims that Apple utilizes its solution in the Taptic Engine technology.
The Taptic Engine first appeared in 2014 in the Apple Watch. A year later, Apple incorporated it into the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, replacing the older vibration motor.
Dispute Lasting Five and a Half Years
Taction Technology filed the lawsuit in 2021. Two years later, the court initially dismissed the case, but an appeals court later reinstated it. According to livemint.com, the trial began on September 14, with seven jurors deliberating for two days, and the verdict was reached on Friday around 1:15 PM Pacific Time.
Taction Technology is a California-based company, reportedly located in San Diego, and describes itself as "obsessed with sound." Its Transporter technology is said to power the Corsair HS60 Haptic headphones.
According to livemint.com, citing Reuters, this is the largest verdict of its kind ever issued in the U.S.
Apple Plans to Appeal
An Apple spokesperson commented on the verdict: "We thank the jury for their consideration, but we fundamentally disagree with today’s verdict and the awarded damages, which we believe are not supported by the facts. Apple’s Taptic Engine is fundamentally different from Taction’s technology, as confirmed by product testing conducted by Taction itself during the trial. Apple does not use Taction’s technology and we will appeal."
Lance Yang, a partner at Quinn Emanuel and lead counsel for Taction, stated: "We are pleased that the jury ruled in favor of Taction and affirmed its patent rights. Taction has been waiting for five and a half years for this case to go to trial, so this has been a long-awaited outcome."