Overview
- TrinamiX, BASF’s sensing-technology unit, filed a patent-infringement complaint in U.S. District Court in Midland, Texas, asserting violations of seven patents and asking the court for damages plus an order to halt further use.
- The company says Apple did not use its tech when Face ID launched in 2017 but now incorporates material- and skin-detection methods in recent iPhone and iPad models, naming iPhone 15, iPhone 16, iPhone 17 and iPad Pro in the filing.
- TrinamiX says its work began around 2010 and that the unit was formed in 2014 to commercialize three-dimensional and material-sensing systems designed to stop spoofing with photos, masks, or silicone replicas.
- The suit highlights trinamiX’s claim of a large patent portfolio—more than 800 granted or pending patents worldwide—and alleges Apple knew or should have known its product updates risked infringement; Apple has not publicly commented.
- Because the filing asks for an injunction, it could force Apple to seek a license, modify Face ID software or hardware, or face legal limits on features in covered devices, and the case will hinge on the court’s review and Apple’s legal response.