Cerence Inc., a company specializing in conversational AI technologies, has initiated a patent infringement lawsuit against Apple Inc. in the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas. The suit alleges that Apple has unlawfully utilized Cerence’s patented technologies related to text input, recognition, and voice command monitoring within its products. ([globenewswire.com](https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2025/09/04/3145017/0/en/Cerence-AI-Files-Patent-Infringement-Suit-Against-Apple.html?utm_source=openai))
The patents in question include U.S. Patent Nos. 7,251,367; 7,453,439; 7,750,891; 8,712,755; 9,256,580; and 9,361,885. These patents cover advancements in virtual keyboard layouts, continuous stroke word-based text input, and methods for detecting voice commands. Cerence contends that Apple’s features, such as the “Hey Siri” voice activation and virtual keyboard functionalities, infringe upon these patents. ([9to5mac.com](https://9to5mac.com/2025/09/04/apple-hit-with-patent-lawsuit-over-hey-siri-and-virtual-keyboard-features/?utm_source=openai))
Jennifer Salinas, Chief Administrative Officer and General Counsel at Cerence, emphasized the company’s commitment to protecting its intellectual property, stating, “We have a robust patent portfolio, and we are committed to enforcing our intellectual property rights, thereby protecting our innovations, investments and customers.” ([globenewswire.com](https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2025/09/04/3145017/0/en/Cerence-AI-Files-Patent-Infringement-Suit-Against-Apple.html?utm_source=openai))
This legal action is part of a broader strategy by Cerence to safeguard its intellectual property. In May 2025, the company filed a copyright infringement and breach of contract lawsuit against Microsoft and Nuance Communications, focusing on its text-to-speech technology. ([investors.cerence.com](https://investors.cerence.com/news-releases/news-release-details/cerence-ai-files-copyright-infringement-suit-against-microsoft?utm_source=openai)) Additionally, in October 2023, Cerence initiated a patent infringement suit against Samsung Electronics, alleging unauthorized use of its voice recognition and handwriting recognition technologies. ([globenewswire.com](https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2023/10/13/2760130/0/en/Cerence-Files-Patent-Infringement-Suit-Against-Samsung.html?utm_source=openai))
Apple has previously faced similar litigation. In 2018, Advanced Voice Recognition Systems, Inc. filed a lawsuit against Apple, alleging infringement of a patent related to speech recognition and transcription technologies. ([prnewswire.com](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/advanced-voice-recognition-systems-inc-files-infringement-complaint-against-apple-inc-300679146.html?utm_source=openai))
As of now, Apple has not publicly responded to the allegations made by Cerence. The outcome of this lawsuit could have significant implications for the use and development of voice and text recognition technologies in consumer electronics.