Taction Seeks Royalties on iPhone and Apple Watch Sales Through September 2035
Following a $5,721,961,750 patent infringement verdict handed down by a federal jury in San Diego on September 25, 2026, Taction Technology is pushing for supplemental damages, prejudgment interest, and ongoing royalties that would extend across future hardware sales through September 24, 2035, when the disputed patents expire.
The original legal battle centered on Apple’s Taptic Engine, the haptic feedback hardware integrated into iPhones and Apple Watches. Taction originally sued Apple in April 2021, alleging infringement on U.S. Patent Nos. 10,659,885 and 10,820,117. While the jury awarded Taction $5,721,961,750 in damages after finding that the hardware infringed two specific claims, the verdict did not find willful infringement and is not yet a final judgment.
Apple has strongly disputed the outcome. The company argued during the proceedings that its hardware design is fundamentally different from Taction’s technology, maintaining that jurors engaged in impermissible guesswork on a massive scale. Apple subsequently asked the court to overturn the verdict or order a new trial.
Extending Royalties to the iPhone 18 Pro and Apple Watch Series 12
The initial jury award only accounted for Apple’s hardware sales through March 2026. To capture the remaining revenue gap, Taction filed a new motion requesting supplemental compensation for an additional six months of sales.
To support its request for ongoing royalties on unjudged devices, Taction leveraged Apple’s own legal arguments from prior litigation against Samsung. In that previous dispute, Apple argued that royalties should apply not only to products found to infringe its patents, but also to newer models using essentially the same technology.
Taction is now applying that exact logic to Apple’s current hardware lineup. The filing targets devices including the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, Apple Watch Series 12, and Apple Watch Ultra 4, arguing that these newer releases are not more than colorably different from the infringing products.
Under Taction’s proposed framework, Apple would be compelled to submit quarterly sales reports for the United States market, with royalty payments due within 30 days of each quarter’s close. Furthermore, Taction is asking the court to apply a 7% annual rate for prejudgment interest dating back to April 2021, alongside additional interest accrued from the date of final judgment until payment is fully rendered.
Third-Party Litigation Funding and Burford Capital Exposure
Court records identify Kenosha Investments LP and Gronostaj Investments LLC (formerly Roosevelt Investments Group, LLC) as the financial backers supporting Taction’s legal campaign against Apple.
Burford Capital maintains an estimated $1.4 billion entitlement if the verdict were paid as is, split roughly equally between its balance sheet and its funds. Burford says the amount is likely to change after post-trial or appellate proceedings.
The case number for the ongoing proceedings is No. 3:21-cv-00812-TWR-JLB in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California, presided over by Judge Todd W. Robinson.
