A U.S. jury has ruled that Apple must pay more than $5.7 billion to Action! after concluding that technologies used in iPhones and Apple Watches infringed on two patents owned by the San Diego-based company.
that the ruling is the largest of its kind in the United States to date, while Apple announced that it will appeal, denying the use of Action's technology.
Vibration engine at the heart of the conflict
On Friday, the jury concluded that Apple's Taptic Engine, which produces vibrations and haptic pulses in its devices, infringed on two patents owned by Action.
In response to the ruling, Apple said its engine is fundamentally different from Action technology, noting that tests conducted by the latter on Apple products during the trial confirmed this difference, according to the company.
Apple confirmed that it does not use Action's technology and that it will appeal the verdict, while Action's lawyer, Lance Yang, said the company welcomed the jury's decision that upheld its patent rights.
According to Reuters, Action uses its technology in headphones and gaming headsets, and filed the lawsuit against Apple in 2021, while the iPhone manufacturer denied the patent infringement allegations and argued that they were invalid.
The case took a turn last year when the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit revived the lawsuit, after a federal judge in San Diego had ruled in 2023 that Apple had not infringed on the patents in dispute.
The jury's decision does not represent the end of the legal dispute, as Apple has announced its intention to appeal the record ruling.
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