Apple plans appeal after $5.7B Taptic Engine patent verdict

A San Diego federal jury awarded Taction $5.7 billion on Sept. 25, finding that Apple’s Taptic Engine infringed two patents held by the small haptics firm. The component creates the taps and vibrations in iPhones and Apple Watches. Apple disputes the verdict and says it will appeal.

As The Rundown reported, court challenges and a possible settlement could reshape the eventual payout. Litigation funder Burford Capital and its investment funds also have a substantial financial stake in the result.

What the jury decided

Taction sued Apple in 2021. Jurors found that the infringement was not willful. Taction’s lawyers at Quinn Emanuel say the jury also rejected Apple’s arguments that the patents were invalid.

Apple denies using Taction’s technology and maintains that its Taptic Engine is fundamentally different. The company disputes both the verdict and the size of the damages award.

Why it matters

One vibration component has produced a $5.7 billion jury award, but Apple’s planned challenge could reshape what Taction receives. For the patent holder and its financial backers, the practical question is how much of the award survives court review and reaches them as cash.

Burford’s Sept. 28 investor statement said the verdict had yet to become a final judgment or produce cash. It expects Apple to ask the trial court to set the verdict aside, with potential appellate review to follow. Burford warned that the recovery could shrink substantially, including the possibility of a total loss.

The case has already changed direction on appeal. The trial court ruled for Apple in August 2023, but the Federal Circuit overturned that ruling in August 2025. The appeals court raised concerns about the exclusion of expert opinions under an unwritten court requirement. That reversal allowed Taction to pursue the case that led to this jury award. That history helps explain why further review matters, while leaving the outcome of Apple’s next challenge open.

According to Bloomberg Law, Burford says it and its investment funds could collect $1.4 billion if Apple pays the award in full. The sum would be divided roughly equally between the company and the funds. That implies about $700 million for Burford and $700 million for the funds.

Burford says financing terms, fees, expenses, taxes and other deductions will also affect the amount ultimately received. Calculating net profit would require accounting for those costs. Taction’s own return also depends on the share of any recovery owed to its financial backers.

Burford also warned that the parties could settle for considerably less than the jury awarded. A deal could give Apple a way to resolve the dispute for a smaller sum. Taction and its backers would gain more certainty about their recovery, while giving up the chance to collect the full award. They would have to weigh that certainty against the risk that further court proceedings reduce the award more sharply or erase it.