Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) filed a lawsuit against China’s Zhizhen Network Technology and State Intellectual Property Office in connection with its patent rights for “Siri,” its intelligent personal assistant and knowledge navigator, according to the government-run new agency Xinhua.
According to the report, Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) Zhizhen Network Technology created a software similar to Siri, and the tech giant filed a petition to the State Intellectual Property Office to declare the Chinese company’s voice recognition software invalid. However, the government agency denied the request of the iPhone and iPad maker.
In 2012, Zhizhen Network Technology sued Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) on allegations Siri’s voice recognition technology violates its patent rights for “Xiao i Robot” software. The Chinese company claimed that its software has a wide application in different industries including e-commerce, finance, and telecommunications industries.
Zhizhen Technology provided evidences in court that it submitted patent application for the “Xiao iRobot” software in 2004. Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) introduces Siri on its iPhone 4S in 2011. A start-up company acquired by the Cupertino-based tech giant in 2010 originally developed the technology behind Siri.
A court in Shanghai heard the charges against the iPhone and iPad maker last July. The court said it will continue its hearing on the case in the future, but did not provide any specific date.
Technology observers suggested the Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPl) filed a complaint against Zhuzhen Network Technology to end the ongoing complaint against it. The Intermediate People’s Court scheduled a hearing regarding the iPhone and iPad maker’s charges against the Chinese company and State Intellectual Property Office on Thursday.
China is a critical market for Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL). Its CEO Tim Cook projected that the country will become its largest market. The company recently signed a multi-year distribution agreement with China Mobile (NYSE:CHL), the largest telecommunications company worldwide with more than 700 million subscribers.
The stock price of Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) climbed slightly to $527.55 s share on Monday. Smartstops.net, a stock market risk management service provider shows that the equities of the tech giant entered an elevated risk on January 28 when its stock went down to $528.70 per share. Over the past 52-week range, the shares of the company went down from its highest level at $575.14 to $385.10 per share. Today, the stock dropped to as low as $522.42 a share. Investors who pulled back their investment from the company when they received an alert of elevated risk saved $47.80 per share.
