(Yicai Global) Aug. 4 -- Apple rejected a claim that it infringed a patent belonging toZhizhen Intelligent Network Technology, also known asXiao-i Robot, after the Chinese artificial intelligence company filed aCNY10 billion (USD1.4 billion) lawsuit against the US tech giant.

“We are disappointed Xiao-i Robot has filed another lawsuit,” California-based Apple said in its first response to the development. Xiao-i Robot had also sued Apple eight years ago.

Zhizhen Intelligent filed the latest case with the Shanghai High People’s Court yesterday, demanding Apple stop the infringement and pay compensation. The Shanghai-based company says Apple’svoice-recognition technology Siriinfringed a patent it applied for in 2004 and was granted in 2009.

Apple said Siri does not contain features included in the Xiao-i patent, which the iPhone maker argues relates to games and instant messaging. “Independent appraisers certified by [China’s] Supreme People’s Court have concluded that Apple does not infringe Xiao-i Robot’s technology,” it added.

A demand for CNY10 billion in damages is rare, according to an intellectual property lawyer, who noted that the reason for such a large demand is not yet known. The legal fees alone would amount to more than CNY50 million (USD7.2 million), basically the same as Xiao-i’s published annual operating revenue before it was delisted, the lawyer added.

Xiao-i Robot told Yicai Global, “Our claim for compensation is completely legitimate, but we cannot reveal the details now.”

Apple debuted Siri on the iPhone 4S in 2011 and included the smart personal assistant in its subsequent iPhone, iPad, iTouch, MacBook, and HomePod releases. Siri has become a major system for man-machine interaction on Apple products.

Xiao-i sued Apple in Shanghai in June 2012, claiming Apple infringed on its patents. Apple fought back and applied to China’s National Intellectual Property Administration to revoke Xiao-i’s patents involved in the case in November 2012.

The legal dispute between the two firms lasted eight years. The Supreme People’s Court confirmed the validity of Xiao-i’s patent in a final ruling this June.

“Apple dragged out the case for eight years, taking advantage of administrative litigation procedures, and caused great loss to Xiao-i,” Ding Chen, Xiao-i’s attorney, said earlier.

Editor: Peter Thomas