Seemingly spurred on by Proview’s recent $60 million settlement over the iPad trademark, Chinese companies are going after Apple left and right this week. Now a developer of a Chinese Siri alternative is going after apple for patent infringement.Shanghai based Zhizhen Network Technology filed a law suit against Apple claiming Apple’s Siri personal assistant infringes on their own patents and Apple may have even copied the companies introduction text for the Siri marketing campaign in China.
The patents and other legal claims refer to a messaging system called Xiaoi Bot which was filed way back in August of 2004! And was implemented on Microsoft’s MSN and Yahoo’ Messenger services.
Gizchina News of the week
Strangely the company aren’t too concerned about stolen or copied technology or logos but rather Apple’s Siri introduction text they have used on the Apple China website, text which currently seems to have been removed.
The text in question:
“it can understand what you say and what you’re asking for, and it can find the answer that you are looking for on the web”
Is claimed to be very similar to the introduction used to promote the Xiaoi Bot’s features and technology.
News reports are claiming that this latest legal battle could cost Apple much more than the $60 million they have recently agreed to pay Proview for the iPad trademark!
Via: Nesease
