Has OnePlus 5T’s Face Unlock Feature Infringed SensibleVision’s Face Recognition Patents?


The biometric system in face unlock is perhaps the fastest face recognition implementations on the market today because it is quite secure impenetrable to non-professional infringers. OnePlus 5T’s Face Unlock technology has been commended since the smartphone touched down, however, there could be a patent infringement war lurking around the periphery of the company. SensibleVision is a company whose face authentication based security solutions has been around for over a decade. The company’s face recognition implementation is slated to hit Android devices in fall 2018. However, its CEO, George Brostoff, claims that OnePlus must have trespassed at least one of its numerous patents in the biometric security solutions world. He also stated that the use of the screen as an illuminator could also be an infringement SensibleVision’s patent. As of now, Mr. Brostoff claims that “several companies” have infringed that particular patent and they have been contacted.

When George Brostoff was asked what he thinks about OnePlus 5T’s Face Unlock system, he said

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“This is nothing new. We have been doing this for years. It even appears that they may be using several patented technologies,”…“We have not licensed our patents to OnePlus or their supplier. From the video on Forbes, they are likely infringing at the very least on our illumination patent.”

Mr. Brostoff says that issue has been handed over to the company’s legal team thus OnePlus may be hearing from SensibleVision soon. However, mysmartprice contacted a Public Policy Researcher – Rohini Lakshane who is quite vast in patent and intellectual property regulation and he has this to say

“SensibleVision is a US company. Patents are valid only in the jurisdiction where they have been granted. Unless the company has registered a patent application or was awarded one for face recognition in China, there is no infringement. That is with respect to sale of the devices in China. With respect to sale in India, again, SensibleVision needs to have registered the patents in India,” explains Lakshane. “The way licensing works is the companies that hold many patents for a particular technology often license entire patent portfolios for use anywhere in the world. This is called Global Patent Licence Agreement (GPLA). This is usually confidential. What patents and how many are in the portfolio and what are the licensing terms [Editor’s note: in other words, how much money changes hands, among other things] is also confidential.”

From Brostoff statement, there is no understanding between OnePlus and SensibleVision. But make no mistake about this, it will not be easy for SensibleVision, an American company, to file and win a patent infringement case against a Chinese company in China. Nevertheless, the company can make its case in the US where it has filed for the patent. For now, there is no official proof or case that OnePlus actually infringed on SensibleVision’s patent. We will keep a close tab on the situation and keep you abreast as events unfold.

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