Apple Faces Patent Infringement Lawsuit over iPhone 5 Speech Recognition

The patent holding company Cedatech Holdings hit Apple with a lawsuit last week alleging the iPhone 5's speech recognition technology infringes on a patent it owns. The company filed its lawsuit in Federal Court in the Eastern District in Texas -- a court known for favoring patent trolls -- and the case's wording makes it clear Cedatech can't even keep up on who it is suing.

Cedatech says iPhone 5 infringes on its voice recognition patentCedatech says iPhone 5 infringes on its voice recognition patent

The lawsuit references patent 7,707,591, titled "Integration of Audio or Video Program with Application." According to Cedatech, Apple has infringed on its patent by including speech recognition support as a feature on the iPhone 5. Cedatech's lawsuit asks for the usual cease and desist order, plus lots of money, and claims it is owed that from Apple based on HTC's infringement.

The case filing asks the court to:

Award Cedatech all damages to which it is entitled under 35 U.S.C. § 284 resulting from HTC's infringement, and ordering a full accounting of all damages adequate to compensate Cedatech for the infringement of its patent rights.

Cedatech doesn't actually expect HTC to pay for Apple's alleged infringement, but including the company's name in its filing against the iPhone and iPad maker does drive home the notion that they are patent trolls because they didn't even change the company name in their boilerplate paperwork. Cedatech is also suing HTC and Dell in separate cases and apparently mixed up the names in their filings.

The 591 patent was granted in 2010 to Talkway Inc, according to Patently Apple, and then acquired by Cedatech Holdings. The company doesn't make any products based on the patents it holds and instead uses that portfolio to generate revenue through licensing and litigation, which just so happens to be the definition of a patent troll.

Apple hasn't commented on the filing, nor has HTC.