Key facts
- Apple was ordered to pay $5.7 billion in damages after a US jury found it infringed on Taction Technology's patents.
- Taction Technology claimed Apple used its vibration technology without permission in devices like the iPhone and Apple Watch.
- Apple stated it disagrees with the verdict and plans to appeal, asserting its Taptic Engine is fundamentally different from Taction's technology.
- The jury did not find that Apple had infringed the patents willingly.
Apple has been ordered to pay $5.7 billion in damages after a US jury found the company had infringed on patents related to haptics systems, which enable vibrations in electronic devices. The audio firm Taction Technology filed a lawsuit in 2021, alleging that Apple had used its patented vibration technology without permission in products such as the iPhone and Apple Watch. Taction claimed that Apple's improvements to its haptic feedback systems, particularly its "Taptic Engine" which debuted in 2014, infringed on patents it was issued in 2020. The company accused Apple of capitalizing on its innovations and selling infringing devices. While a judge had previously ruled in Apple's favor in 2023, a federal appeal circuit led to a jury trial in the US District Court for the Southern District of California, which resulted in the recent verdict. Apple has stated it strongly disagrees with the verdict and the damages awarded, asserting that its Taptic Engine is fundamentally different from Taction's technology and that it plans to appeal. The jury did not find that Apple had willfully infringed the patents. This case is one of several patent disputes Apple has faced in recent years, including a separate $634 million judgment in November 2025 related to blood-oxygen reading technology.