2026-09-04 11:39 — China Times News
BASF Sues Apple, Alleging iPhones Infringe Facial Recognition Patents
BASF filed a lawsuit against Apple in the United States on Thursday, accusing the company of infringing BASF’s patents covering facial recognition technology in several models of the iPhone and iPad.
trinamiX, a division of the BASF Group, said it has spent the past decade developing related technologies to address security vulnerabilities that make conventional facial recognition systems susceptible to spoofing. These vulnerabilities can allow attackers to bypass facial unlocking systems using photographs, 3D-printed masks, or silicone replicas.
According to the complaint, when Apple first introduced its facial recognition feature, Face ID, with the iPhone X in 2017, it did not use BASF’s patented technology. However, BASF alleges that the technology is now being used in various iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 models, as well as the iPad Pro.
The German chemical group said, “Apple knew or should have known that updating its iPhones and iPads to incorporate material and skin detection technologies into Face ID would very likely infringe seven trinamiX patents,” causing “substantial damage and irreparable harm.”
BASF filed the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court in Midland, Texas, seeking an unspecified amount in damages and an injunction to prevent further infringement.
In the nine months ended June 27, Apple sold $196.5 billion worth of iPhones and $21.7 billion worth of iPads.
The complaint states that BASF established trinamiX in 2014 as an independent entity with the goal of developing advanced 3D and material-sensing technologies. trinamiX holds more than 800 granted and pending patent applications worldwide.