Taptic Engine

It really is at the heart of this whole dispute.

Taction basically argued that Apple's Taptic Engine, which is, you know, the heavily branded proprietary linear actuator inside every recent iPhone and Apple Watch, they argued it infringes on their patented method of using this kind of highly damped output.

So Taction essentially walked into federal court and said, look, Apple took our patented solution for instantly breaking these vibrations and they put it in the pockets of half the population of the planet.

That was the core of their case, yeah.

If a product performs substantially the same function in substantially the same way to achieve substantially the same result as the patented invention, it can still infringe, even if it falls outside the literal words of the patent claim.

OK.

So going back to our trial, the judge ruled that Apple's Taptic Engine did not literally match the exact words in Taction's patent.

But Taction was allowed to argue to the jury that the Taptic Engine was equivalent.

In a major legal blow, Apple has been ordered to pay $5.7 billion to Taction Technology after a jury found Apple guilty of infringing on two haptic technology patents.

Taction contended that Apple's Taptic Engine, used in various products like iPhones and Apple Watches, utilized their technology without permission.

After an extensive legal battle that began in 2021, the jury concluded in favor of Taction.

Apple is set to appeal the decision, claiming that their technology is fundamentally different.

Imagine that.

But this time, they were hit with a massive... patent verdict, a California jury found Apple liable for a $5.72 billion damages in a patent dispute involving its Taptic Engine technology.

That's when you touch the screen and you feel a little vibration, that's Taptic.

Apple is expected to appeal the decision of course, making this one of the week's biggest technology and corporate legal stories.

News of a huge patent lawsuit loss for Apple.

A piece from Engadget says Apple is currently on the hook for a record-breaking patent infringement case, with a federal jury deciding that the Taptic Engine found in Apple Watch and some models of iPhone violate patents held by San Diego-based Taxion.

No patent trolled this one.

The piece says the company produces audio and gaming peripherals with haptic feedback.

Massive $5.7 billion penalty for Apple.

In a significant legal ruling, Apple has been ordered to pay $5.7 billion due to patent infringement regarding its Taptic Engine technology.

This decision comes from a jury in San Diego and marks the largest patent verdict in U.S. history.

The infringement involves two specific vibration patents that influence how notifications and interactions feel across Apple devices.