Apple has been ordered to pay $5.7 billion (about KSh750 billion) after a US jury found that the technology giant infringed patents belonging to audio company Taction Technology. The dispute centres on haptic technology, the vibration-based system that allows devices such as iPhones and Apple Watches to respond to users through touch.

Highlights

• Apple has been ordered to pay $5.7 billion in damages.
• Taction Technology accused Apple of infringing two haptic technology patents.
• The disputed technology is used for vibration-based feedback on electronic devices.
• Apple denied using Taction’s technology and plans to appeal.
• The jury did not find that Apple deliberately infringed the patents.

Main Story

Apple loses major patent dispute

Apple has suffered a major setback in the US after a jury ruled that the company infringed patents owned by Taction Technology.

The ruling relates to haptic technology, which enables electronic devices to communicate with users through physical sensations such as vibrations.

The technology is now common in smartphones, smartwatches, gaming controllers and other consumer electronics.

Taction, an audio technology company that produces headphones and gaming headsets, first sued Apple in 2021.

What was the dispute about?

At the centre of the case were two patents covering technology used to create haptic feedback.

Taction argued that improvements Apple made to the vibration systems in products such as the iPhone and Apple Watch relied on technology covered by its patents.

The company claimed Apple had benefited commercially from its inventions without obtaining permission or a licence.

Apple rejected the accusations, maintaining that its own Taptic Engine was fundamentally different from Taction’s technology.

The company said it strongly disagreed with both the jury’s decision and the amount awarded.

Apple plans to appeal

Apple has indicated that it will challenge the verdict.

The company argued that evidence presented during the trial did not support the conclusion that its devices used Taction’s patented technology.

The jury, however, found Apple liable for patent infringement and awarded Taction billions of dollars in damages.

Importantly, jurors did not determine that Apple had knowingly or deliberately infringed the patents.

How haptics became central to Apple devices

Haptic feedback has become an important part of how people interact with modern electronics.

Instead of relying solely on sounds or visual notifications, devices can use carefully controlled vibrations to signal actions such as pressing a button, receiving a notification or interacting with an interface.

Apple introduced its Taptic Engine with the Apple Watch in 2014 and has continued developing its haptic systems across its product range.

Taction argued that Apple’s advances in this area crossed the line into technology protected by its patents, which were granted in 2020.

Case took several turns

The legal battle has been ongoing for years.

A San Diego judge ruled in Apple’s favour in 2023, finding that the company had not infringed Taction’s patents.

The dispute later moved through the federal appeals process before reaching a jury trial at the US District Court for the Southern District of California.

The latest verdict has now handed Taction a major financial victory, although Apple’s planned appeal means the legal battle may not yet be over.

Another costly patent dispute

The case adds to a series of patent battles Apple has faced involving its technology.

In November 2025, Apple was ordered to pay $634 million to medical technology company Masimo after a jury found that it had infringed a patent relating to blood-oxygen monitoring technology.

The latest ruling could therefore become another significant legal and financial challenge for the world’s most recognisable technology companies.

For Apple, the verdict is a costly reminder that even the smallest features users barely notice can become the centre of billion-dollar battles over technology and ownership.