Apple Faces Fine of Rp 102 Trillion After Losing Haptic Patent Case

Apple has been ordered to pay a penalty of USD 5.7 billion (approximately Rp 102.6 trillion) by a jury in a United States court after being found guilty of using haptic technology belonging to another company without permission.

The lawsuit was filed against Apple by Audio Taction Technology in 2021, claiming that the company violated two of its patents related to haptic systems. This technology generates vibrations when users receive messages or press buttons, and it is integrated into devices such as the iPhone and Apple Watch.

According to Taction, Apple utilized this innovation to enhance user comfort without holding an official license. Although Apple initially won the case in San Diego in 2023, Taction appealed to the federal circuit court.

A retrial in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California reversed the earlier ruling in favor of Taction last Friday. However, the jury stated that Apple's infringement was not intentional.

Apple's management firmly rejected the ruling and confirmed plans to appeal. "We strongly disagree with today's ruling and the damages awarded, as both are completely unsupported by the facts," the company stated in an official announcement.

The statement continued, "Apple's Taptic Engine system is fundamentally different from Taction's technology, a fact that was actually demonstrated by Taction's own testing during the trial."

Haptic technology has become a hallmark of modern devices, including smartphones, smartwatches, and game console controllers. This feature operates using small motors that move in response to electronic signals to provide users with tactile sensations.

Reported by Liputan6 Tekno.