Apple responds after hit with new lawsuit

Apple Inc made a statement on Tuesday saying its Siri application does not infringe a Chinese technology company's patent for a voice recognition software.

The statement came after Shanghai Zhizhen Network Technology Co, the developer of voice recognition technology Xiao-i Robot, filed a lawsuit on Monday to the Shanghai High People's Court against Apple.

The Chinese company applied for a patent for its technology in 2004 and was awarded it five years later.

In the lawsuit, Shanghai Zhizhen Network Technology has requested Apple to cease patent infringement and manufacturing, usage, promotion, sales and imports of products with Siri as it violates its patent. It also sought 10 billion yuan ($1.43 billion) in compensation.

"This case has been going on for eight years. Siri does not contain features covered by their patent, which relates to games and instant messaging. We are disappointed that Xiao i Robot has filed another lawsuit," the statement read.

The statement stated that independent appraisers certified by the Supreme People's Court have also concluded that Apple has not infringed Xiao-i Robot's technology.

"Apple deeply respects innovation and our teams work tirelessly to create new technology and product features to delight our customers. We look forward to presenting the facts to the court and we will continue to focus on delivering the best products and services in the world to our customers," the statement added.

Xiao-i Robot started in 2003 as a chat tool for MSN, Yahoo Messenger and other similar networks. It has since expanded to Android and Apple's iOS, where it bears a striking similarity to Siri.

Siri, which was first developed in 2007 by Siri Inc and acquired by Apple in 2010, made its debut with the release of the iPhone 4S in 2011.