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Legal Proceedings | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2025
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract] |
Legal Proceedings | Legal Proceedings Antitrust Class Actions On June 5, 2020, a dental practice, Simon and Simon, PC (doing business as City Smiles), brought an antitrust action in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California on behalf of itself and a putative class of similarly situated practices seeking treble monetary damages, interest, costs, attorneys’ fees, and injunctive relief relating to our alleged market activities in alleged clear aligner and intraoral scanner markets. Plaintiff filed an amended complaint and added VIP Dental Spas as a plaintiff on August 14, 2020. On December 18, 2023, the court certified a class of persons or entities that purchased Invisalign directly from us between January 1, 2019 and March 31, 2022. The court denied Plaintiffs’ motion to certify a class of purchasers of scanners. On February 21, 2024, the court granted our motion for summary judgment on all claims brought by the plaintiffs. Plaintiffs have appealed the district court’s summary judgment ruling to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Oral argument was held on April 10, 2025. On May 3, 2021, an individual named Misty Snow brought an antitrust action in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California on behalf of herself and a putative class of similarly situated individuals seeking treble monetary damages, interest, costs, attorneys’ fees, and injunctive relief relating to our alleged market activities in alleged clear aligner and intraoral scanner markets based on Section 2 of the Sherman Act. Plaintiffs have since filed several amended complaints adding new plaintiffs and various state law claims. On November 29, 2023, the court certified a class of indirect purchasers of Invisalign between July 1, 2018 and December 31, 2023 and a class of indirect purchasers of Invisalign seeking injunctive relief. On February 21, 2024, the court granted our motion for summary judgment on the claims related to Section 2 allegations. The court entered judgment for the Section 2 and related state law claims on March 22, 2024. Plaintiffs have appealed the district court’s summary judgment ruling to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Oral argument was held on April 10, 2025. We are currently unable to predict the outcome of these lawsuits and therefore we cannot determine the likelihood of loss, if any, nor estimate a range of possible loss. During the course of the Misty Snow lawsuit, some additional plaintiffs joined and filed allegations based on Section 1 of the Sherman Act. In June 2024, we reached a settlement in principle with the Section 1 plaintiffs to resolve all remaining claims in the Section 1 lawsuit. In March 2025, Align and plaintiffs agreed to a revised settlement to resolve all Section 1 claims for a $31.75 million cash payment. On November 21, 2025, the court granted final approval of the settlement and dismissed the case with prejudice. In 2025, Align issued a payment for the full settlement amount, $31.75 million, consisting of $27.5 million accrued as of December 31, 2024 and an additional loss accrual of $4.25 million in the first quarter of 2025, to an escrow agency in accordance with the court's approval. Straumann Litigation On April 11, 2024, we filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas against ClearCorrect Operating, LLC, ClearCorrect Holdings, Inc. and Institut Straumann AG, (collectively the “Defendants”). The complaint asserted infringement of our patents related to aligner material, treatment planning, and intraoral scanner technologies. Among other things, the complaint seeks relief enjoining the Defendants’ infringement of multiple Align multilayer material patents through Defendants’ manufacture, sale and offer for sale of aligners made with Zendura FLX/ClearQuartz materials. On September 12, 2025, Defendants filed a motion to dismiss the amended complaint. That motion to dismiss remains pending. Defendants are also seeking to invalidate all of our asserted patents at the district court. On July 9, 2024, Defendants filed counterclaims against us alleging antitrust violations and unfair competition. Among other things, the counterclaims seek injunctive relief and money damages. On August 29, 2025, Defendants filed amended counterclaims, which additionally allege that Align procured certain materials patents by fraud. On September 26, 2025, Align filed a motion to dismiss the amended counterclaims. That motion is still pending. A trial in the case is set for June 22, 2026. On April 10, 12 and 14, 2025, Defendants filed eight inter partes review (“IPR”) petitions with the United States Patent Trial and Appeal Board (“PTAB”), alleging that eight of the patents asserted by Align against the Defendants are unpatentable. On October 23, 2025, the PTAB issued decisions denying institution of two of Defendants eight IPRs. On October 23, October 27, October 30, and November 6, 2025, the PTAB issued decisions instituting proceedings on the remaining six IPRs. We believe the petitions are without merit and intend to defend ourselves vigorously. We believe Defendants’ counterclaims are without merit and intend to vigorously defend ourselves. We are currently unable to predict the outcome of this lawsuit and cannot determine the likelihood of loss, if any, nor estimate a range of possible loss. Angelalign Litigation On August 15, 2025, we initiated two actions in the European Unified Patent Court against Angelalign Technology, Inc.; Angelalign France Technology SASU; Europe Angelalign Technology B.V.; Angelalign Technology (Germany) GmbH; Italy Angelalign Technology S.R.L. and Shanghai EA Medical Instruments Co., Ltd. These actions allege infringement of patents related to user interfaces for treatment planning and to the “power ridge” feature of clear aligners. Subsequently, on November 27, 2025, we initiated a third action in the Unified Patent Court against the same entities for infringement of a patent related to treatments in complex cases. The accused entities have challenged the validity of the asserted patent in each of these actions. On January 13, 2026, Angelalign Technology (Germany) GMBH filed an action in the European Patent Office challenging the validity of the treatment-planning patent referenced above. These actions are currently pending. On February 12, 2026, the Unified Patent Court issued a preliminary injunction in Align’s favor and against Angel, enjoining Angel from using its “Live Now” feature, a user interface for treatment planning. Angel must pay €20,000 EUR per day or cease offering its infringing software feature. On August 18, 2025, we initiated an action in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas against Angelalign Technology Inc; Wuxi EA Medical Instruments Technologies Ltd.; Wuxi EA Bio-Tech Co., Ltd.; and Shanghai EA Medical Instruments Co., Ltd. This action alleges infringement of patents related to multilayer materials for clear aligners and “bite ramp” and “power ridge” features of clear aligners. On January 2, 2026, following institution of an investigation by the U.S. International Trade Commission, referenced below, this action was stayed pending further order of the court. On August 18, 2025, we initiated two actions in China’s Zhengzhou Intermediate People’s Court against Shanghai Angelalign Medical Devices Co., Ltd.; Wuxi Angelalign Medical Device Technology Co., Ltd.; and Wuxi Angelalign Biotechnology Co., Ltd. These actions allege infringement of patents related to tooth attachments and treatment planning. Separately, on September 10, 2025, we filed an action against the same entities in the Jinan Intermediate People’s Court alleging infringement of a patent related to extraction site closure. And on January 12, 2026, we filed an action against these entities in the Fuzhou Intermediate People’s Court alleging infringement of a patent related to extraction site closure. These actions are currently pending. On January 16, 2026, Shanghai Angelalign Medical Devices Co., Ltd. filed a petition with the China National Intellectual Property Administration (“CNIPA”) challenging the validity of our patent related to extraction site closure, which patent is the subject of an infringement action referenced above. On January 22, 2026, Shanghai Angelalign Medical Devices Co., Ltd. filed a petition with the CNIPA challenging the validity of our patent related to tooth attachments, which patent likewise is the subject of an infringement action referenced above. And on January 19, 2026, we filed a petition with the CNIPA challenging the validity of a patent held by Wuxi Angelalign Medical Device Technology Co., Ltd. regarding undercut detection and filling. These invalidity actions are currently pending. On September 23, 2025, we filed a complaint at the U.S. International Trade Commission (“ITC”) against Angelalign Technology Inc., Wuxi EA Medical Instruments Technologies Ltd.; Wuxi EA Bio-Tech Co., Ltd.; Shanghai EA Medical Instruments Co., Ltd.; and USA Angelalign Technology Corp. (collectively, “the ITC Respondents”). This complaint alleges unlawful importation and sale of clear aligners that infringe patents related to multilayer materials for clear aligners, in violation of 19 U.S.C.§ 1337. Further, the complaint requests that the ITC institute an investigation and issue an exclusion order blocking the ITC Respondents’ importation of infringing products into the United States, and a cease-and-desist order prohibiting the ITC Respondents from selling, marketing, or transferring infringing products within the United States. On December 19, 2025, the ITC instituted the requested investigation, which is currently pending. On August 22, 2025, Shanghai Angelalign Medical Devices Co., Ltd. and Wuxi Angelalign Medical Devices Technology Co., Ltd. initiated an action against us in China’s the Beijing Intellectual Property Court. The complaint alleges that we infringe a patent relating to undercut detection for mold manufacturing. We believe that these allegations are without merit and intend to defend ourselves vigorously. We are currently unable to predict the outcome of these lawsuits or any future litigation, and therefore we cannot determine the likelihood of loss, if any, nor estimate a range of possible loss. In addition to the above, in the ordinary course of our operations, we are involved in a variety of claims, suits, investigations, and proceedings, including actions with respect to intellectual property claims, patent infringement claims, government investigations, labor and employment claims, breach of contract claims, tax, and other matters. Regardless of the outcome, these proceedings can have an adverse impact on us because of defense costs, diversion of management resources, and other factors. Although the results of complex legal proceedings are difficult to predict and our view of these matters may change in the future as litigation and events related thereto unfold; we currently do not believe that these matters, individually or in the aggregate, will materially affect our financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

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