Apple ordered to pay $5.7 billion for unauthorized use of haptic technology

A court in the United States has ordered Apple to pay $5.7 billion in damages to Taction Technology for using its haptic technology without permission.

The lawsuit was filed in 2021, when Taction Technology accused Apple of infringing two patents related to a vibration system. The technology allows users to feel a simulated physical response when they perform actions on a device, such as receiving a notification or pressing a button.

Haptics creates a sense of touch through vibrations and is used in a wide range of electronic devices, including the iPhone, Apple Watch and video game controllers.

Taction, known for making headphones and gaming equipment, said the patents in question had been issued in 2020. According to the company, Apple had used its inventions without obtaining a license or authorization.

In its legal claim, Taction argued that Apple had used the technology to improve the vibration system in its products and, as a result, provide a better user experience.

Apple has denied the allegations and insisted that it has not used Taction’s technology. The company said its Taptic Engine is fundamentally different from Taction’s system and claimed that tests conducted by Taction itself during the legal proceedings had confirmed this.

Apple first introduced the Taptic Engine in 2014 with the launch of the Apple Watch. The system was later incorporated into more of the company’s devices.

The case took another turn in 2023, when a court in San Diego ruled that Apple had not infringed Taction’s patents. Taction then appealed the decision to a federal appeals court.

This is not the first time Apple has faced a patent lawsuit. In November 2025, a court ordered the company to pay $634 million to medical technology company Masimo in a case involving the infringement of a patent for measuring blood oxygen levels.