圣地亚哥联邦陪审团判令苹果因侵犯其两项专利，向这家小型触觉技术公司Taction Technology赔偿超过57亿美元。
A federal jury in San Diego has ordered Apple to pay more than $5.7bn to Taction Technology, a small haptics company, for infringing two of its patents.
据Law360首次报道，该裁决于9月25日星期五作出，是美国历史上最大的专利赔偿判决。
The verdict came on Friday, 25 September, and is the largest patent award in US history, according to Law360, which first reported it.
该案件围绕苹果的Taptic Engine展开，这是让iPhone和Apple Watch为提醒和按键操作产生点触和振动的部件。
The case centres on Apple’s Taptic Engine, the part that makes iPhones and Apple Watches tap and vibrate for alerts and button presses.
根据裁决书，陪审团认定其侵犯了这两项专利的权利要求，这些专利涵盖了产生用户可感知振动的方式。然而，陪审团也认定苹果并非故意侵权。因此，Taction无法请求法院增加赔偿金额。苹果拒绝接受该裁决，并表示将提起上诉。
The jury found that it infringed claims in both patents, which cover ways of producing vibrations a user can feel, according to the verdict form. However, the jury also found that Apple did not infringe on purpose. As a result, Taction cannot ask the court to increase the damages. Apple rejected the verdict and said it would appeal.
苹果在声明中表示：“苹果的Taptic Engine从根本上不同于Taction的技术，Taction在审判期间对苹果产品的自行测试也证实了这一点。”
“Apple’s Taptic Engine is fundamentally different from Taction’s technology, which Taction’s own testing of Apple’s products confirmed during trial,” the company said in a statement.
总部位于圣地亚哥的Taction生产用于耳机和游戏耳机的触觉技术。该公司于2021年起诉苹果。
Taction, which is based in San Diego, makes haptic technology for headphones and gaming headsets. It sued Apple in 2021.
法官在2023年判决苹果胜诉，但美国联邦巡回上诉法院去年恢复了该案件，审判于9月14日开始。
A judge ruled in Apple’s favour in 2023, but the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit revived the case last year, and the trial began on 14 September.
Taction首席律师Lance Yang告诉CNBC：“Taction等了五年半才等到开庭审理，所以这是迟早的事。”该诉讼也获得了外部资助。
“Taction waited five and a half years for this case to get to trial, so it was a long time coming,” Lance Yang, Taction’s lead lawyer, told CNBC.
据彭博法律报道，与诉讼资助方Burford Capital有关的投资工具支持了Taction的案件。此类资助方承担诉讼费用，以换取任何赔偿金的分成。该赔偿金额是前一最高纪录的两倍多。
The lawsuit was also financed from outside. Investment vehicles linked to the litigation funder Burford Capital backed Taction’s case, Bloomberg Law reported. Such funders pay the costs of a lawsuit in return for a share of any damages.
2021年，德克萨斯州陪审团判令英特尔向专利持有者VLSI Technology赔偿21.8亿美元，该裁决后来在上诉中被推翻。
The award is more than double the previous high. In 2021, a Texas jury ordered Intel to pay $2.18bn to patent holder VLSI Technology, a verdict that was later thrown out on appeal.
57亿美元的数字并非最终确定，苹果可以在审判法官面前通过审后动议提出异议，随后还可向联邦巡回法院上诉。
The $5.7bn figure is not final, and Apple can challenge it in post-trial motions before the trial judge, and then at the Federal Circuit.