A US jury has ordered Apple to pay more than $5.7 billion in a patent dispute involving haptic technology used in iPhones and Apple Watches, according to the Reuters report shown in the supplied clipping.
The jury in San Diego ruled in favour of Taction Technology in a patent infringement case involving technology that creates tapping vibrations or haptic feedback in Apple devices.
Taction filed the lawsuit in 2021, alleging that Apple infringed its patents through technology used in its products.
Apple denied the allegations and argued that the patents were invalid. Following the jury’s decision, Apple said it would appeal the verdict.
Taction attorney Lance Yang welcomed the jury’s finding, saying the company was pleased that the jury found in its favour and validated its patent rights.
Taction’s technology is used in headphones and gaming headsets. The company argued that its patented technology was infringed through Apple’s implementation of haptic feedback in products including iPhones and Apple Watches.
The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit had previously reviewed aspects of the dispute after a federal judge ruled in 2023 that Apple had not infringed the patents.
The latest jury verdict adds a new stage to the long-running patent dispute, with Apple now planning to challenge the decision through an appeal.
