"Patent Infringement Confirmed"... Apple Faces $7.7 Billion Damages Threat

Patent Infringement Found for ‘Taptic Engine’ Used in iPhone
Jury Dismisses Claims of Willful Infringement
Apple: “Fundamentally Different Technology... Will Appeal”

A U.S. court jury has ruled that Apple's haptic technology, applied to devices such as the iPhone and Apple Watch, infringed on patents held by another company. As a result, Apple now faces the prospect of having to pay approximately $5.72 billion (about 7.7 trillion won) in damages, believed to be the largest amount ever determined in a U.S. patent trial.

On September 26, local time, a jury at the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California found Apple liable for damages in a patent infringement lawsuit filed by haptic technology company Taction Technology, awarding a total of $5,721,961,750 in compensation.

The lawsuit was originally filed by Taction in 2021. Apple initially won at trial, but the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit overturned the decision in 2025, resulting in the litigation being reopened. A jury trial was subsequently held in September this year, and after approximately five and a half years, the damages verdict was finally delivered.

Apple is facing a potential liability to pay approximately $5.72 billion (about 7.7 trillion won) following a verdict by a U.S. court jury that the company infringed on patents owned by another firm. Pixabay

The heart of the lawsuit lies in Apple’s ‘Taptic Engine.’ The Taptic Engine is a component in devices such as the iPhone and Apple Watch that provides tactile feedback through fine vibrations, allowing users to physically feel actions like button presses or notifications. The relevant patents relate to an electromagnetic method that generates low-frequency vibrations, enabling users to perceive them through touch.

The jury found that Apple’s Taptic Engine, used in models since the iPhone 8 series, infringed on certain claims of two U.S. patents owned by Taction. Apple argued that Taction’s patents were invalid and that its Taptic Engine was fundamentally different from Taction’s technology. However, the jury rejected these claims.

However, the jury determined that Apple’s patent infringement was not “willful.” Under U.S. patent law, willful infringement can result in increased damages, but in this verdict, willfulness was not recognized.

Lance Yang, a partner at Quinn Emanuel and the lead attorney for the plaintiffs, said, “We are pleased that the jury confirmed Taction’s claims and ruled for patent infringement damages,” adding, “Taction has waited five and a half long years for this result.”

Apple immediately pushed back against the verdict, stating, “Apple’s Taptic Engine is fundamentally different from Taction’s technology. Apple does not use Taction’s technology and will appeal this verdict.” The company also asserted that the damages amount calculated by the jury was not based on the facts.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.