Apple Inc. Siri Misinterpretation Lawsuit Dismissed for Lack of Evidence
A California District judge dismissed an Apple lawsuit claiming the company misinformed customers about the Siri voice command capabilities.
Four people -- Frank M. Fazio, Carlisa S. Hamagaki, Daniel M. Balassone, and Benjamin Swartzmann -- sued Apple claiming the company gave "false expectations" of Siri's functions that were depicted in advertisements promoting the iPhone 4s.
U.S. District Court Judge Claudia Wilken's ruling stated, "Plaintiffs contend that they have now crystallized their theory. They explain that, after viewing certain Apple advertisements about Siri, they were 'led to believe that Siri could function on a consistent basis as a personal assistant by understanding spoken questions and/or commands, knowing what those questions and/or commands meant, and by providing an adequate response to them."
The judge would dismiss their claims without prejudice stating they provided lack of evidence.
Judge Wilken stated the courts couldn't conclude if Siri was wrongly advertised to the plaintiffs if they cannot provide the evidence themselves. She added the plaintiffs failed to answer questions such as if a reasonable consumer would "perceive the same standard, and whether Siri failed to meet such a standard," and how Apple would be shown to have known the voice command feature did not meet the expected standard.
"Apple made no promise that Siri would operate without fail," wrote Judge Wilken. "A reasonable consumer would understand that commercials depicting the products they are intended to promote would be unlikely to depict failed attempts."
Judge Wilken added that including such information was necessary to give Apple an understanding of what level of performance it must defend and frame the debate for summary judgment and trial.
"Despite the Court's explicit admonition to do so, however, Plaintiffs declined to provide any kind of definition, and further did not elaborate on the definition of 'consistent' when challenged by Apple," wrote Judge Wilken in her ruling.
Coincidently, days after Judge Wilken dismissed the case, Apple sued China's State Intellectual Property Office regarding Siri. Apple claimed the Chinese government failed to invalidate a patent similar to the voice command feature. The Shanhai-based Zhizhen Network Technology developed a feature similar to Siri, and Apple wanted the government to not approve the Zhizhen patent. The State Intellectual Property Office declined Apple's request. The case has gone to China's Intermediate People's Court.
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