Apple’s Face ID technology target of latest lawsuit from BASF

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.

BASF is a corporate giant

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, it seems unlikely that the lawsuit could be referencing unreleased technology.

Once AppleInsider is able to review the lawsuit filing in full, more will be shared.