Apple sued for allegedly infringing Chinese Siri-like patent
A Chinese software firm hit Apple with a patent infringement suit for allegedly violating its 2006 voice-recognizing assistant patent when the Cupertino-based company integrated Siri technology into the iPhone 4S.
The new dispute adds to the growing number of Chinese court claims filed against Apple and follows a separate suit that alleges the Mac maker violated a trademark for the Snow Leopard moniker as well as the recent $60 million settlement paid out to defunct monitor maker Proview.
According to a report from M.I.C. Gadget, the new lawsuit was first filed on June 26 by Shanghai-based Zhizhen Network Technology and claims Apple's Siri voice assistant infringes on the ?ZL200410053749.9″ patent for ?a type of instant messaging chat bot system? dubbed Xiaoi Bot. The internet-driven software has reportedly been implemented in China by Microsoft's MSN, Yahoo Messenger, and Shanghai Expo?s Dr Haibao among others.
While the Xiaoi Bot patent was originally filed for in 2004 with a subsequent approval in 2006, Zhi Zhen only recently revealed the Siri-like technology in February and is apparently an Android-only asset as it was launched in Lenovo's Android 4.0 Smart TV.
In comparison, Apple released Siri to the Chinese market in January and highlighted the system's Chinese language support at WWDC last month.
Xiaoi Bot's timeline shows a launch date of February 2012, one month following Siri's Chinese debut. | Source: Xiaoi webpage
The video below shows the Xiaoi Bot software running on an Android handset with the app bearing a striking resemblance to Siri's UI.
Zhi Zhen's reportedly attempted to contact Apple for mediation in May but received no response. A Chinese court is said to holding pre-trial negotiations though no official statements have been released.
The new dispute adds to the growing number of Chinese court claims filed against Apple and follows a separate suit that alleges the Mac maker violated a trademark for the Snow Leopard moniker as well as the recent $60 million settlement paid out to defunct monitor maker Proview.
According to a report from M.I.C. Gadget, the new lawsuit was first filed on June 26 by Shanghai-based Zhizhen Network Technology and claims Apple's Siri voice assistant infringes on the ?ZL200410053749.9″ patent for ?a type of instant messaging chat bot system? dubbed Xiaoi Bot. The internet-driven software has reportedly been implemented in China by Microsoft's MSN, Yahoo Messenger, and Shanghai Expo?s Dr Haibao among others.
While the Xiaoi Bot patent was originally filed for in 2004 with a subsequent approval in 2006, Zhi Zhen only recently revealed the Siri-like technology in February and is apparently an Android-only asset as it was launched in Lenovo's Android 4.0 Smart TV.
In comparison, Apple released Siri to the Chinese market in January and highlighted the system's Chinese language support at WWDC last month.
Xiaoi Bot's timeline shows a launch date of February 2012, one month following Siri's Chinese debut. | Source: Xiaoi webpage
The video below shows the Xiaoi Bot software running on an Android handset with the app bearing a striking resemblance to Siri's UI.
Zhi Zhen's reportedly attempted to contact Apple for mediation in May but received no response. A Chinese court is said to holding pre-trial negotiations though no official statements have been released.
Comments
Prior art: the Mac has had voice commands since 1984.
Where do these patent troll slugs come from?
Woooooww, Chinese companies need to pack their bags and go. Stop suing Apple! Woooowww.
This patent troll has no prior right to this idea. Apple can prove it without a doubt. The above info is available on the darpa website and from sri's website.
"...implemented in China by Microsoft's MSN"
Uh huh. "You can only judge the distance by the company you keep..."
Apple played the game with large investments in China during the iPad trademark scam. If the Chinese government allows a never ending stream of cash grabs, I wonder if Apple will reevaluate doing so. A reliable government stays bought.
I'm waiting for the same people who always slam Apple for suing too much, to come and defend this Chinese company's suit against Apple, regardless of the merits of the case or not.
In their wacky minds, everything Apple does = bad, but everything anybody else does against Apple = good.
Anyway, Apple has plenty of cash and lawyers. It's expected that a huge company like Apple will get sued on a regular basis from all sorts of unsavory characters and shady people looking for a quick buck. And I still believe, like I always have, that Apple should sue even more companies, in order to protect their IP.
And it works so well in China. The $60 million dinner bell has been rung. Come get some.
It looks like the Chinese are way ahead of Apple in developing Siri-like technology.
So wait, they design their "Siri" UI just like Apple's and then have the nerve to sue Apple for infringement?!?
At the very least they could have come up with their own UI/design before doing this.
They copied Apples implementation down to the circling around the microphone icon and then turn around and sue Apple for copying. Wow....
Apple should have fought harder on the Proview case. Now the jackals are coming out of the woodwork looking for scraps.
100% true and absolutely disgusting. We need a worldwide standard for intellectual property.
-sounds like a Turing system. How could they patent a Turing system?
-does not sound much like Siri
*having not yet read the patent
I agree. Apple hopefully are looking into alternative manufacturing locations for the future just in case this gets out of hand.
Quote:
Originally Posted by digitalclips
I agree. Apple hopefully are looking into alternative manufacturing locations for the future just in case this gets out of hand.
Why? These little suits are nothing compared to the massive labour force in China to which Apple has access.
These Chinese lawsuits cost Apple a few million here, a few million there. Meanwhile, thanks in part (and no small part) to the manufacturing power of China, Apple is able to make billions.
why? coz there's money to be had.
I wonder... if we look, will we find this company listed as a subsidiary of Proview?! Although we are talking about China, so Apple's lawyers should ask if this was just a pirated version of Siri?!
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Why? It's called leverage. Better to not be too beholden to anyone or anyplace
Another day, another jingoistic thread, at AppleInsider.