Nearly a decade after Face ID debuted in the iPhone X, BASF is bringing a lawsuit against Apple for violating face authentication technology patents it holds.
Many versions of the iPad and nearly every iPhone since the iPhone X has used Face ID. For whatever reason, BASF chose today to pursue a patent infringement lawsuit.
According to a report from Reuters, the German-based BASF company has started a lawsuit against Apple. They allege patent infringement for their patents held on face authentication technology.
The company has a Houston location and has chosen Midland, Texas for the lawsuit. It's a U.S. District Court known for patent lawsuit speed, given the relatively smaller criminal docket that the court processes as compared to surrounding regions.
Apple hasn't shared a statement on the matter.
It seems Reuters may have been tipped off on this lawsuit, so while we await an official filing, the information we can find doesn't say much. There doesn't seem to be any indication that BASF is a patent troll.
BASF is the largest chemical producer in the world. Though it does own many subsidiaries and technologies, some of which belong to smartphones.
trinamiX is a subsidiary of BASF that was established in 2015. It holds over 370 patents and patent applications, and it has published work in facial recognition technology.
One such technology pertains to under-display facial authentication systems for OLED panels. It was shared in 2022 at a Snapdragon Summit and has shipped in Android smartphones.
The description of the technology certainly aligns with the rumored Apple implementation of under-display Face ID that is expected to debut with iPhone 18 Pro. However, the lawsuit isn't targeting patents related to this technology, though expect complications once Apple announces the product.
More details have emerged from the lawsuit that reveal that it was in fact trinamiX with the patent dispute. The patent in question is from a technology that helps identify spoofs using photographs, masks, or silicone replicas.
The patent lawsuit arrives a decade after it should have been a problem
The complaint suggests that trinamiX had spent the "last decade" developing the technology. Apple's iPhone X debuted in 2017 with Face ID capable of ignoring attempts using inanimate or still-life objects.
"Apple knew or should have known of the high probability that updating its iPhones and iPads to incorporate Face ID using material and skin detection… causing substantial damages and irreparable injury," the complaint said. Apple allegedly violated seven patents.
Why the patent dispute took a decade to raise isn't directly addressed. BASF says trinamiX was established in 2014 to work on 3D and material sensing technologies.
BASF seeks "a halt to further infringements," which could mean a halt to sales or payment for the patents themselves and damages caused otherwise. Apple will likely soon file its response.
Updated September 3, 7:30 p.m.: added details about the lawsuit under the head "From the lawsuit"
