Billion-dollar damages penalty for Apple in Taptic Engine patent lawsuit
A US court jury has ruled that Apple infringed two patents in its Taptic Engine technology, ordering it to pay more than $5.7 billion in damages to Taction.
In a patent lawsuit in the US, a federal court jury has ordered Apple to pay more than $5.7 billion in damages to Taction over the haptic feedback technology used in its devices. Apple has announced that it will appeal the decision.
Court Decision and Damages Amount
A US federal court jury ruled that the haptic feedback technology found in Apple's iPhone and Apple Watch models infringes two patents.
Following this decision, it was ruled that Apple must pay more than $5.7 billion in damages to San Diego-based technology company Taction.
Apple's and Taction's Defenses
Apple argued that the Taptic Engine technology is fundamentally different from the system developed by Taction and does not infringe the patents in question.
Taction's attorney Lance Yang stated that they were pleased with the jury's decision in favor of the company, expressing that the ruling validates patent rights.
History and Background of the Lawsuit
Taction, which develops haptic technologies for headphones, originally filed the patent infringement lawsuit against Apple in 2021.
Although the federal court in San Diego ruled in favor of Apple in 2023, the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit overturned that decision last year, sending the case back for a retrial.
iCloud Lawsuit in the UK
In addition to the patent lawsuit, Apple is also facing another class action lawsuit in the UK covering approximately 40 million iCloud users.
Brought by consumer rights organization Which and expected to be heard in 2028, the lawsuit is stated to be valued at approximately £3 billion.