In the state of Delaware, a final court hearing took place regarding IPA Technologies’ allegations that Microsoft had violated its patents in the creation of the Cortana voice assistant. After careful consideration, the jury agreed with IPA’s argument that the voice recognition technology used in Cortana infringed on its patent for computer communications software. As a result, Microsoft was fined $242 million.
IPA Technologies is a subsidiary of Wi-LAN, a patent-licensing company jointly owned by Canadian technology firm Quarterhill and two investment firms. In 2010, Siri Inc., owned by SRI International, absorbed by Apple and used its technology in the Siri virtual assistant. IPA acquired patents from Siri Inc. and now accuses Microsoft of infringement.
In response to the court’s decision, a Microsoft representative stated that they believe Microsoft has not infringed on IPA’s patents and will appeal the ruling. Initially, the lawsuit accused Microsoft of violating multiple patents related to personal digital assistants and voice data navigation, but ultimately focused on one patent in particular – that used by Cortana.
IPA has also filed lawsuits against Google and Amazon for patent infringement. While Amazon successfully had the IPA lawsuit dismissed in 2021, litigation with Google is still ongoing. The outcome of these lawsuits will have significant implications for the entire technology industry as we know it today.