US jury says Apple owes record $5.7 billion in haptic technology patent case

A US jury ruled that Apple owes San Diego-based Taction ​more than $5.7 billion for using its patented ‌technology to power the haptic feedback in iPhones and Apple Watches. Apple said it would ​appeal the country's largest such verdict,  to ​date. Here it is arranged in a standard Reuters-style news format, with the key finding first, followed by the companies’ responses and case background: A jury said on Friday that Apple's Taptic Engine, which creates tapping vibrations, infringed two Taction patents. Apple said in response that its Taptic Engine is "fundamentally different from Taction's technology", adding that Taction's own testing of Apple's products confirmed this during the trial. Read More: OpenAI, Anthropic CEOs called to appear at Australian AI probe "Apple does not use Taction's technology, and we will appeal," Apple said in a statement. "We're happy the jury found for Taction and vindicated its patent rights," said Taction attorney Lance Yang. Taction, which uses its technology in headphones and gaming headsets, filed the lawsuit in 2021. Apple denied the allegations and said the patents were invalid. The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit revived the case last year after a San Diego federal judge ruled in 2023 that Apple had not infringed the patents. I can also make it tighter and more typical of a Reuters wire story, while retaining all the facts.