Apple ordered to pay $5.7bn after losing vibration tech patent suit

A jury in the United States has ordered Apple to pay $5.7 billion in damages after it was found to have used another company's technology without permission. Taction Technology, an audio firm, claimed in 2021 that Apple had infringed two of its patents for haptics systems, which are responsible for the vibrations users experience when receiving notifications or pressing buttons on devices such as the iPhone and Apple Watch.

Apple has stated it does not use Taction's vibration technology and will appeal the verdict, asserting that its Taptic Engine is fundamentally different from Taction's technology. Haptics, which enable the sense of touch or feel through vibrations, have become a key feature of modern devices, with Apple's Taptic Engine first introduced in the Apple Watch in 2014.

Taction, which manufactures headphones and gaming headsets, alleged that Apple's improvements to its haptic feedback system infringed on patents it received in 2020, effectively profiting from Taction's innovation and success by selling devices that infringe upon its patents. Despite a San Diego judge ruling in favor of Apple in 2023, an appeal reached the federal appeal circuit, leading to the September jury trial at the US District Court for the Southern District of California.

The verdict found that Apple did not infringe on the patents intentionally, marking another lawsuit in a series of similar legal battles faced by the tech giant in recent years.