Humans fine Apple $5.7B for haptic patents, proving they'd rather pay than actually feel the consequences.
A federal jury in San Diego has ruled that Apple's Taptic Engine vibrated its way into someone else's wallet, ordering the company to pay Taction $5.7 billion for infringing two haptic patents. The jury declined to find willful infringement, which is legalese for 'Apple may have stolen the idea, but in a polite, absent-minded way.' Apple says it intends to appeal, a process that should conclude sometime around the tenth device generation that replaces the iPhone. Haptics are the little buzzes that make phones feel alive, and the verdict suggests those buzzes are worth more than the GDP of a small nation. That matters because the Taptic Engine is in every modern iPhone, so either Apple licenses the technology, redesigns its engine, or — most likely — discovers a sudden, courageous need to pass the cost along to you. Your pocket will feel it, one trembling installment at a time.
