BASF’s trinamiX sues Apple over Face ID patents

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BASF’s trinamiX units filed a Western District of Texas complaint alleging Apple Face ID infringes seven skin- and material-detection patents. The suit seeks damages and an injunction; infringement is alleged, not proven.

BASF units trinamiX GmbH and trinamiX Sensing LLC sued Apple on September 3, 2026, accusing Face ID systems in recent iPhones and iPads of infringing seven patents on optical skin and material detection. The complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas (case reporting cites 7:26-cv-00348).

Apple has not been shown to have responded publicly in the coverage reviewed for this story. The filing is an allegation, not a finding of infringement.

What the complaint claims

According to Reuters and Bloomberg Law reporting on the complaint:

trinamiX says it developed anti-spoofing methods meant to distinguish real skin from photos, masks, and silicone replicas
The suit alleges Apple did not use the patented approach when Face ID launched with iPhone X in 2017, but later incorporated material and skin detection covered by the patents in iPhone 15, 16, and 17 series devices, recent iPad Pro models, and other products
Plaintiffs seek unspecified damages and an injunction against further alleged infringement

Court docket summaries list seven U.S. patents attached as exhibits. Exact claim construction and Apple’s defenses will be litigated.

What is not established

The complaint does not prove Apple copied trinamiX technology, and damages are not determined. Face ID remains shipping technology pending any court order. Readers should separate the existence of a lawsuit from any conclusion about liability.

Source: Reuters — BASF sues Apple over face authentication patents

Source: Bloomberg Law — BASF units sue Apple over Face ID

Source: Case index — trinamiX Sensing LLC v. Apple, Inc.