A federal jury in San Diego has awarded Taction Technology $5.7 billion in damages after finding Apple infringed on two of its haptics patents used in the iPhone and Apple Watch. The verdict followed a lawsuit filed by Taction in 2021, which alleged that Apple’s use of vibration-based tactile transducer technology in its “Taptic Engine” violated the company’s patent rights. The trial began on September 14, with seven jurors deliberating for two days before reaching their decision.

Taction claimed that Apple had unlawfully benefitted from its innovation, accusing the tech giant of incorporating Taction’s patented technology without proper authorization or licensing. The patents involved, numbered 10,659,885 and 10,820,117, cover vibration technology that allows users to feel feedback from devices in response to their input. During the trial, Taction’s lead counsel expressed satisfaction with the outcome, highlighting the lengthy wait of over five years for the case to proceed to trial.

Apple has strongly rejected the verdict and said it plans to appeal, maintaining that its Taptic Engine is distinctly different from Taction’s technology. The company emphasized that its own testing, which was presented during the trial, confirmed that it does not use Taction’s inventions. Apple initially succeeded in having the case dismissed in 2023 before the Federal Circuit revived the lawsuit.

The jury did not find Apple’s infringement to be willful, but the substantial damages award marks a significant legal setback for the tech giant. This case underlines the high stakes involved in patent disputes over critical smartphone and wearable device components. As Apple prepares to challenge the ruling, the decision sets a notable precedent in the field of haptics technology patents.