Apple challenges $5.7 billion patent verdict over iPhone haptic technology

MUMBAI: Apple’s legal troubles have delivered a hefty tap on the wrist, with the technology giant seeking to overturn a $5.7 billion jury award over its iPhone and Apple Watch vibration technology.

In a motion filed on Tuesday before a federal court in San Diego, Apple challenged both the damages calculation and the finding that its haptic feedback system infringed two patents held by Taction Technology, Reuters reported. The company argued that the award lacked sufficient evidentiary support and described it as the largest patent verdict in US history by a margin of more than $3 billion.

The dispute centres on Apple’s Taptic Engine, which creates the tapping sensations users feel when interacting with iPhones and Apple Watches. On 25 September, a jury found that the technology infringed two patents owned by Taction, a San Diego-based company that uses haptic technology in headphones and gaming headsets. Taction filed the lawsuit in 2021.

Apple has argued that Taction failed to establish the value of its patented technology or provide sufficient evidence to justify the damages awarded. According to the filing, the jury was asked to determine a reasonable royalty without adequate information to calculate an appropriate amount.

The company has also challenged the evidence presented by Taction’s damages expert, saying the court had excluded the expert’s analysis before trial because of flaws in the method used to calculate royalties based on an earlier licensing agreement. The expert was subsequently barred from testifying, Apple said.

Apple further cited comments by US District Judge Todd Robinson before the verdict was read. According to the company’s filing, the judge expressed uncertainty over whether the amount recorded on the verdict form reflected what the jury had intended to award.

Apple is also contesting the technical basis of the infringement finding, arguing that its Taptic Engine operates differently from the technology described in Taction’s patents, which concern producing consistent vibrations across different frequencies.

According to Apple, its system generates stronger vibrations at some frequencies than at others. The company alleges that Taction’s technical expert, Dr Oliver, developed a testing method specifically for the litigation that did not properly establish whether Apple’s hardware met the patents’ requirements.

Apple contends that the test examined how electronic controls regulated vibrations rather than whether the underlying transducer’s output satisfied the patent claims. It said other tests produced a different vibration response.

The company has also argued that accepting Taction’s interpretation of the patents would undermine their validity, as the infringement test allegedly conflicted with the testing method described in the patents, complicating the determination of the claims’ scope.

Apple’s motion now challenges both the financial penalty and the technical reasoning behind the verdict. The dispute puts the spotlight on how courts assess the value of patented technology when deciding damages, particularly when the technology is embedded in widely used consumer devices.