Apple has hit with a lawsuit on Wednesday from Dot 23 Technologies alleging the iPhone and iPad maker's Siri feature infringes on three of its patents. Dot 23 is just a patent holding company, so it's no surprise the case was filed in the Eastern District Court in Texas—a favorite for patent trolls.
Dot 23 sues Apple over Siri features
According to the lawsuit, Apple is infringing on U.S. patents 6,405,029, 6,917,802, and 7,245,903 covering geolocation and voice dialing features. Dot 23 named the iPhone 4, iPhone 5, and iPhone 6 along with Siri as infringing products.
The company used the lawsuit as notification of infringement, which implies Apple didn't have prior knowledge of the patents in question. The patents were originally granted to Byard G. Nilsson between 2002 and 2007, were later transferred to Mobile Telephone Technology, and finally to Dot 23 in September 2015.
Dot 23 is calling out Siri features such as the ability to say, "Hey Siri, call 303-867-5309," and "Hey Siri, find me coffee shops in Boulder."
The fact that Dot 23 filed its case in Federal Court in the Eastern District in Texas isn't any surprise. The court is a favorite for patent holding companies because of its reputation for siding with them.
Dot 23 is asking the court for damages, interest, and other fees. Apple hasn't responded to the case yet.