Apple Ordered to Pay $5.7 Billion in Landmark Haptic Patent Verdict
苹果被判赔57亿美元：触觉反馈专利案创美国纪录
A US federal jury in San Diego has ordered Apple to pay more than 5.7 billion dollars to Taction Technology after finding that the Taptic Engine in iPhones and Apple Watches infringed two of the company’s haptics patents. The verdict, delivered on Friday, is the largest US patent award of its kind on record. Taction, which first sued Apple in 2021, said Apple had improperly used its vibration technology without permission. The jury, however, did not find that Apple’s infringement was willful, a finding that could have led to even larger penalties. Apple said the Taptic Engine works differently from Taction’s technology and plans to appeal the decision. The case highlights how even the smallest hardware features can carry enormous financial risk for technology giants.
美国圣地亚哥联邦陪审团裁定，苹果公司需向触觉技术公司Taction Technology支付超过57亿美元的赔偿，理由是iPhone和Apple Watch中使用的Taptic Engine触觉引擎侵犯了该公司的两项专利。这一判决于周五作出，创下美国同类专利判决金额的最高纪录。Taction于2021年首次起诉苹果，称苹果未经许可使用了其振动技术。不过，陪审团未认定苹果属于故意侵权——若构成故意侵权，罚款金额可能更高。苹果表示，其Taptic Engine与Taction的专利技术工作原理不同，计划提起上诉。此案表明，即便是最微小的硬件功能，也可能给科技巨头带来巨大的财务风险。
