Jury says Apple owes record $5.7 billion over iPhone and Watch haptics patents
A federal jury found Apple’s Taptic Engine infringed two Taction Technology patents and awarded more than $5.7 billion — the largest U.S. patent verdict of its kind reported to date. Apple says it will appeal.
The verdict: A federal jury in San Diego ruled Friday that Apple owes San Diego-based Taction Technology more than $5.7 billion for infringing two patents tied to haptic feedback in iPhones and Apple Watches, Reuters reported. The verdict form listed damages of $5,721,961,750, according to AppleInsider.
Jurors found infringement but concluded it was not willful — meaning they did not find that Apple knowingly copied the patents. They also rejected Apple’s arguments that the patent claims at issue were invalid, AppleInsider reported.
What the Taptic Engine is: Apple’s Taptic Engine creates tapping vibrations so users feel button presses, alerts and notifications. In plain English, this case is about whether Apple’s hardware uses technology covered by Taction’s patents — a patent-law dispute, not consumer product advice.
What the companies said: Apple said it disagrees with the verdict and will appeal. “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 shared with AppleInsider and summarized by Reuters. “Apple does not use Taction’s technology, and we will appeal.” Apple also said the damages award was “entirely unsupported by the facts,” per AppleInsider.
Taction attorney Lance Yang said the company was “happy the jury found for Taction and vindicated its patent rights,” Reuters reported.
How the case got here: Taction, which uses its technology in headphones and gaming headsets, sued Apple in 2021, Reuters reported. A San Diego federal judge ruled in 2023 that Apple did not infringe; the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit revived the case in 2025, according to Reuters and AppleInsider.
What is still unknown: Whether an appeals court will reduce, overturn or leave the award in place — and how long that process will take. Large patent verdicts are often appealed and sometimes cut on review. ReadingDlaw News is not predicting the outcome of Apple’s appeal.
What this means: For now, Apple faces a record-size patent bill that it says it will fight. For readers, the useful frame is process: a jury found infringement and set damages; appeals courts often have the last word. Nothing here is legal advice about patents or products.