A U.S. jury ordered Apple to pay about $5.7 billion over patents for haptic feedback, the vibration response in devices; the award is described as the largest in a U.S. patent case. Jurors did not find willful infringement, and Apple says it will appeal.
Post-trial motions come first, followed by an appeal; those proceedings can run for years. The article says patent awards are often reduced on appeal, so the $5.7 billion may not be Apple's final payment.
The article estimates Apple earned roughly $129 billion in net income over the past year, putting the award at about 4.5% of that figure. It says the patents concern haptics across Apple's products, including phones, watches and trackpads.
