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San Diego jury awards Apple $5.7B in tactile patent case
The verdict comes as regulators and lawmakers in the US look to rein in third party patent litigation funding.
A federal jury in the Southern District of California found that Apple infringed two patents owned by Taction Technology and awarded more than $5.7 billion in damages, in what legal commentators call the largest US patent verdict on record, according to Insurance Business.
The patents relate to tactile transducers, the vibration hardware used to make phones and watches buzz when touched. Taction argued that Apple's Taptic Engine in iPhones and Apple Watches used its technology without a license, while Apple denied infringement and said its Taptic Engine is fundamentally different, the outlet reported.
The case was filed in 2021 and experienced major procedural setbacks before the trial. In 2023, the court excluded testimony from Taction's technical expert and granted Apple summary judgment, but the Federal Circuit later revived the case, Insurance Business said.
Apple said it will appeal the decision. Insurance Business also noted that a significant share of any money that holds would go to investors who backed the claimant, as states and Congress move to limit third party patent litigation funding.