Apple faces new legal challenge in China

A Chinese technology firm has filed a legal challenge accusing US giant Apple of infringing its patented voice recognition software with its Siri function on the iPhone, the company said Saturday.

The move comes just days after Apple paid $60 million to end a dispute over who could use the iPad name in China. Shanghai Zhizhen Network Technology Co Ltd patented its Xiao i Robot software in 2004, while Apple's Siri, which made its debut with the release of the iPhone 4S last year, was first developed in 2007. The Chinese company's version operates in a similar way to Apple's personal assistant and works on the iOS and Android operating systems. Si Weijiang, a lawyer acting for the Shanghai-based firm, said it had tried to contact Apple two months ago over the alleged infringement but received no response.