Apple ordered to pay $5.72 billion in Taction patent suit

A federal court in San Diego, California, ruled that Apple must pay 5,721 million dollars to Taction Technology. The verdict determined that Apple infringed patents 10,659,885 and 10,820,117, which cover tactile technology producing low-frequency vibrations perceptible to touch, used in its Taptic Engine on iPhone and Apple Watch models.

Taction Technology initially filed the lawsuit in 2021. A judge dismissed the case in 2023, but the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit revived the dispute in 2025 after ruling that the dismissal relied on an unwritten standard that had excluded expert witness testimony.

Taction attorney Tigran Guledjian welcomed the verdict, stating that the jury upheld the company's patent rights. Apple argued that its Taptic Engine is distinct from Taction's patents and stated it will appeal the decision.

The ruling marks the second legal challenge under CEO John Ternus, who took over from Tim Cook on September 1 after more than 20 years at Apple. The company also faces an ongoing California legal dispute against OpenAI, which Apple accused of misappropriating trade secrets through former Apple employees.