Apple is likely to be sued before the judicial authorities by a Korean company for violating their own technology in order to build the fingerprint verification system, Touch ID.
Firstface, a Korean mobile phone company, claims that it is the real inventor of the fingerprint sensor that unlocks a smartphone and takes you to the home screen. Apple not only used it without its consent, but also refused any negotiation.
According to a report by The Korea Herald, Firstface disclosed the patent in 2011 in the United States, Korea, Japan and several other major markets, while Apple first used it on the iPhone 5 in 2013.
Shim Young-tack, one of the CEOs of Firstface, explained that they were trying to contact Apple to discuss a licensing agreement, but Cupertino rejected their request. Therefore, they are ready to sue Apple and seek financial compensation for unauthorized use of the technology.
Meanwhile, Apple has already replaced Touch ID with Face ID on the iPhone X, and the company plans to completely abandon the technology with the launch of this year's iPhone generation.
Information-wise, Apple is expected to release three new iPhone models in 2018, which feature Face ID instead of fingerprint sensors. Apple states that facial recognition is essentially more secure than Touch ID, while also offering other benefits such as more free space on the screen and the possibility of an edge-to-edge display thanks to the removal of the home button.
Apple has not commented on the claims of alleged patent infringement, but it is highly likely that it will face Firstface in court.
