A federal jury in San Diego ruled Friday that Apple owes San Diego-based Taction Technology more than $5.7 billion for using its patented haptic feedback technology to power the vibration systems in iPhones and Apple Watches without authorization — the largest patent infringement verdict of its kind in US history.
The jury found that Apple’s Taptic Engine, the component responsible for the precise tapping and vibration sensations iPhone and Apple Watch users feel when interacting with their devices, infringed two patents held by Taction.
Apple immediately said it would appeal the verdict.
“Apple’s Taptic Engine is fundamentally different from Taction’s technology, which Taction’s own testing of Apple’s products confirmed during trial,” the company said in a statement. “Apple does not use Taction’s technology, and we will appeal.”
The Technology at the Center of the Case
Haptic feedback — the physical sensation of tapping, clicking, or vibrating that smartphones and wearables create — has become a standard feature in modern consumer electronics. Apple’s Taptic Engine is widely regarded as one of the most sophisticated haptic systems in the industry, creating precise physical sensations that simulate button clicks, notifications, and physical textures through software alone.
Taction Technology, a San Diego company that develops haptic technology for headphones and gaming headsets, filed its lawsuit against Apple in 2021 alleging the iPhone maker built its Taptic Engine using technology that Taction had patented.
Apple argued throughout the litigation that its technology was independently developed and that Taction’s patents were invalid. A San Diego federal judge agreed with Apple in 2023 and ruled in the company’s favor. But Taction appealed, and the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit revived the case last year, sending it back to trial.
Friday’s jury verdict completed that retrial and delivered a result far more favorable to Taction than even the company’s attorneys may have anticipated. The $5.7 billion award exceeds what most legal observers considered the likely range of damages even if Taction prevailed.
A Record-Setting Award
The $5.7 billion verdict is described as the largest patent infringement verdict of its kind in US history. For context, some of the largest prior patent verdicts against major technology companies include billion-dollar awards that were subsequently reduced on appeal or in post-trial proceedings.
Apple’s annual revenue exceeds $380 billion, meaning the $5.7 billion award represents roughly 1.5% of its annual sales. For Taction, a small company that sells haptic technology for headphones and gaming accessories, the verdict represents a transformative financial outcome if it survives appeal.
Lance Yang, Taction’s attorney, said after the verdict that the company was pleased the jury vindicated its patent rights.
What Happens Next
Apple’s appeal to the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit is nearly certain given the size of the award and the company’s stated position that it does not use Taction’s technology.
Patent verdicts of this magnitude are routinely subject to post-trial motions in which the losing party asks the trial judge to reduce the damages award or grant a new trial on damages. Apple is expected to pursue those motions before the case reaches the appellate court.
The Federal Circuit, which handles all patent appeals in the United States, has historically been willing to reduce or reverse large patent damages awards when it finds the methodology used to calculate them was flawed.
Even if the verdict is significantly reduced on appeal, a final judgment against Apple for even a fraction of $5.7 billion would represent one of the largest patent payouts in the technology industry’s history.
The Broader Patent Litigation Landscape
The Taction verdict is the latest in a series of large patent infringement verdicts against Apple in recent years. The company has faced patent litigation across a wide range of technologies including processor designs, wireless chip technology, and display systems.
Apple has also been on the other side of patent disputes, most notably in its long-running litigation with Samsung over smartphone design patents that produced one of the most closely watched patent trials of the past decade.
For small technology companies that hold patents on foundational technologies, the Taction verdict reinforces that well-prepared patent litigation against large corporations can produce enormous financial outcomes — provided the underlying patents survive validity challenges and the damages calculation methodology holds up on appeal.
InjuryWatch News will track Apple’s appeal and any post-trial proceedings as this record-setting patent case moves through the courts.