Apple in Court for Allegedly Copying “Siri” from Chinese Firm
According to a report in the Times of India, Apple Apple appeared in a Shanghai court on today, for allegedly infringing the software patent of Shanghai’s Zhizhen Network Technology Co. The software in question relates to Siri, a virtual personal assistant, found in the iPhone 4S/5.
Zhizhen says it patented its “Xiao i Robot” software in 2004, while Apple’s Siri, which made its debut with the release of the iPhone 4S in 2011, was first developed in 2007.
According to the report, Shanghai’s Zhizhen Network Technology Co. claims Apple infringed its patent for voice recognition software. Subsequently, the two companies will exchange evidence at a pre-trial hearing.
Zhizhen Network Technology product operates in a similar way and works on Apple’s iOS system as well as rival Android. The software is apparently used in areas such as telecommunications, finance and e-commerce, with more than 100 million users in China, according to the report.
“The company will ask Apple to stop manufacturing and selling products using its patent rights, once Apple’s infringement is confirmed,” Si Weijiang, a lawyer representing Zhizhen, via AFP.
“We don’t exclude the possibility of demanding compensation in the future,” he added.
“We surely have confidence, our lawyers also told us they have confidence, but of course we will have to see how the judge will rule,” she said.
