Apple has been ordered to pay $5.7 billion in damages for violating two patents owned by gaming‑headset maker Taction Technology, which also provides the technology used in the Corsair HS60 headset. In a 2021 complaint heard by a jury in the Southern District of California, Taction alleged that Apple’s “Taptic Engine” was exploiting its innovation, claiming both the Apple Watch and iPhone employ vibration‑based tactile transducer technology that lets users feel a device respond to input. The jury sided with Taction but determined the infringement was not willful.
Apple did not immediately comment but stated it “strongly disagreed” with the verdict and will appeal. “Apple’s Taptic Engine is fundamentally different from Taction’s technology, which Taction’s own testing of Apple’s products confirmed during trial. Apple does not use Taction’s technology, and we will appeal,” Apple told Gfaloe.
Apple had previously secured a dismissal of the case in 2023, but Taction appealed that decision. The ruling follows a separate $634 million judgment won by medical‑device firm Masimo, which accused Apple of using its proprietary monitoring tech in the Apple Watch. Apple, one of the world’s largest consumer‑electronics brands, briefly reached a $5 trillion valuation in July. Earlier this month the company replaced CEO Tim Cook with former senior vice president John Ternus and announced its first folding iPhone.