Apple accused of infringing patents linked to iPhone facial recognition technology

09:00

By: Azzat Manal

Apple accused of infringing patents linked to iPhone facial recognition technology

Apple is facing a patent infringement lawsuit from German chemical company BASF, which claims that several iPhone and iPad models use technology covered by patents belonging to its subsidiary, trinamiX.

The lawsuit, filed on Thursday in a US federal court in Midland, Texas, centers on technology designed to make facial recognition systems more resistant to spoofing attempts. BASF alleges that Apple has incorporated patented technology into Face ID across a range of its devices without authorization.

According to the complaint, trinamiX has spent years developing solutions aimed at addressing weaknesses in conventional facial recognition systems. Such systems can potentially be deceived using photographs, printed images, three-dimensional masks or silicone replicas designed to imitate a person’s face.

Apple introduced Face ID with the iPhone X in 2017. BASF claims that the technology used at that time did not rely on the patented technology at issue, but alleges that later versions of Face ID incorporated elements covered by seven trinamiX patents.

The German company argues that Apple knew, or should have known, that updates to its iPhone and iPad devices incorporating material and skin detection technologies could infringe its intellectual property rights.

BASF is seeking financial compensation, although the amount has not been specified, as well as an order preventing further alleged infringement. Apple has not been reported as having publicly commented on the allegations at the time of the filing.

The dispute comes as Apple continues to generate substantial revenue from its hardware business. During the nine months ending June 27, the company recorded approximately $196.5 billion in iPhone sales and $21.7 billion in iPad sales, according to the figures cited in the lawsuit.

The roots of trinamiX date back to research conducted by BASF scientists working on organic solar cells. Unexpected findings from that research reportedly contributed to the development of early three-dimensional imaging technologies.

BASF established trinamiX as an independent company in 2014 to focus on advanced 3D sensing and material-sensing technologies. The company says its intellectual property portfolio includes more than 800 granted or pending patents worldwide.

The case highlights the growing importance of biometric technology and the intellectual property disputes surrounding innovations designed to improve the security of facial authentication. As smartphone manufacturers increasingly rely on sophisticated sensors and artificial intelligence to verify users’ identities, patent conflicts over the underlying technologies are likely to remain a significant issue for the industry.