Apple hit with $5.7B damages over haptic patents

Apple has been ordered to pay $5.7 billion in damages for infringing haptic patents, a federal jury in San Diego decided. The sum is one of the largest in intellectual property disputes and puts the future of the Taptic Engine in iPhones and Apple Watches under scrutiny.

Context: a lawsuit years in the making

Back in 2021, haptics company Taction sued Apple, claiming the Taptic Engine used two of its patents without a license. The patents in question, US 10,659,885 and US 10,820,117, cover vibration-based tactile transducer technology that lets users feel a device responding to their input. Taction developed this tech years before Apple integrated it en masse.

Details: the verdict and the patents

The jury found Apple infringed two claims in one patent and one in the other. Taction argued Apple benefited from its innovation without paying royalties. The $5.7 billion award dwarfs other tech patent disputes, like those between Samsung and Apple. Apple has not yet announced whether it will appeal, but it is expected to.

Analysis: who wins and who loses?

Taction scores a historic win that could force Apple to negotiate licenses or redesign its haptic technology. For Apple, the blow is not just financial: it questions its innovation strategy built on third-party patents. Users might see changes in future devices if Apple modifies the Taptic Engine.

Implications: the future of haptics

This ruling sets a precedent for startups licensing haptic technology. Other companies like Immersion or Lofelt might feel encouraged to sue. Apple, for its part, will likely appeal and seek to invalidate the patents, which could drag out the litigation for years. The haptics industry gains visibility and bargaining power.

Is this the end of the Taptic Engine as we know it, or just a legal bump for Apple?

Source: The Verge