Apple faces $1.4 Billion Patent Lawsuit from Chinese Company

A Chinese Firm Chinese firm Shanghai Zhizhen Intelligent Network Technology Co, Ltd, also known as Xiao-i was recently awarded a patent for a voice assistant with similar features to that of Apple’s Voice-Assistant ‘Siri’. The Chinese firm has recently filed a patent lawsuit against Apple Inc., alleging patent infringement and has claimed about $1.43 Billion in damages and also demands that Apple cease “manufacturing, using, promising to sell, selling, and importing” products that infringe on the patent, it said in a social media post.

The Chinese company had argued that the Voice Recognition software ‘Siri’ by Apple Inc. infringes a patent that the firm had applied in 2004 but was granted to them in 2009. Shanghai Zhizhen first sued Apple for patent infringement in 2012 regarding its voice recognition technology. In July, China’s Supreme People’s Court ruled that the patent was valid. China is Apple’s largest foreign market in terms of sales and this legal action has emerged when a potential trade war seems to be happening between the United States of American and China. 

Apple said it’s looking forward to defending its software in court. “This case has been going on for 8 years,” an Apple spokesperson said. “Siri does not contain features included in their patent, which relates to games and instant messaging, and we are disappointed Xiao-i-Robot has filed another lawsuit. Independent appraisers certified by the Supreme People’s Court have also concluded that Apple does not infringe Xiao-I-Robot’s technology.”

This lawsuit isn’t the first run-in the two companies have over this particular patent. Xiao-i had originally lodged a lawsuit back in 2012, but Apple filed a request to have the patent invalidated. The discussion over whether the patent is valid has continued for eight years, but last month China’s Supreme People’s Court ruled in Xiao-i’s favor, reversing a previous decision reached by Beijing High Court. Xiao-i is using this latest decision as fuel to renew its original patent infringement claim. The company, which specializes in natural language processing, said it filed the formal lawsuit with Shanghai High People’s Court.

Apple didn’t immediately respond to request for comment.