BASF sues Apple over Face ID patents in Texas federal court
September 4, 2026 – 8:52 am
The world’s largest chemical company is suing Apple over Face ID. BASF filed a patent infringement claim on Thursday, alleging that dozens of iPhone and iPad models use face authentication technology covered by patents it owns. The case was reported by Reuters and was filed in federal court in Texas, in the Western District that has become a popular venue for patent cases against technology companies.
The products named in the case date back to the iPhone X. Face ID launched with that model in 2017, meaning the claim could potentially cover years of accumulated damages.
What’s unusual is how a chemical company ended up owning patents related to face authentication. BASF makes coatings, catalysts, and agricultural chemicals; these patents likely came through an acquisition rather than from its own research. BASF has not explained where the patents originated.
The choice of venue in Texas is strategic. The Western District of Texas is known for quickly handling patent cases and has a history of juries favorable to plaintiffs suing large tech companies. Apple has faced similar outcomes in this district, including a $625 million award related to FaceTime and iMessage patents.
Other notable patent disputes involving Face ID include:
- A Chinese AI company suing Apple for $1.43 billion over Siri.
- Philips and Sony jointly targeting Apple over security inventions.
Face ID is integral to Apple’s business, used for authentication in payments, unlocking banking apps, and securing the device itself. This makes any infringement claim potentially valuable.
While an injunction against Apple products is unlikely, courts generally limit patent damages to six years prior to a complaint being filed under US law. The focus will likely be on monetary compensation.
BASF’s position strengthens its case. As a publicly traded industrial company with its own research arm, it possesses the resources for a prolonged legal battle. This could impact any potential settlement, as BASF may aim for a value that reflects the perceived worth of its technology rather than an acceptable licensing fee.
The dispute centers around biometric authentication, a field combining infrared projection, depth mapping, and neural matching – technologies evolving independently before Apple integrated them into Face ID.