Apple Lossless Audio CODEC (ALAC), is attacked with a new lawsuit because of Apple TV, the American company seems to have implemented without right a function based on the personal assistant Crab. More specifically, Apple has implemented a function based on Siri and Apple TV, allowing users to review a specific segment of a video clip or movie by simply saying the phrase What did he say to the personal assistant Siri.
This feature of tvOS for Apple TV allows users to view the last 10 seconds of a video clip or movie to re-listen to part of a dialog, including subtitles. A company called CustomPlay claims that it actually developed this feature and patented it, accusing Apple of infringing two separate patents that were registered in 2002 by implementing it in the Apple TV.
The technology described in the patents details a remote control that would be able to activate a movie playback function by pressing a button that would have the shape of the word What, automatically activating the subtitles. The idea then patented by this company is very similar to what Apple offers in tvOS, only now we are talking about activation through a voice command, not by pressing a button.
The patent registered in 2002 does not explain the activation of the function through a voice command, so this could be the "saving" of those from Apple in this process. CustomPlay claims that it contacted Apple in 2014 regarding a partnership to implement this function in Apple TV, but those from Apple did not even offer an answer to the proposals, which implies that Apple knew about the existence of the patent, or that it had the function in development then.
"A remote control capable of activating a replay function includes a WHAT? button, key, or other replay function key or means, to enable a viewer by activating the replay function to automatically cause the system to: i) rewind or skip backwards the playing of the video a system default or a viewer specific previously defined amount, eg 20 seconds; ii) turn on the subtitle to a system default or a viewer specific previously selected subtitle language."
CustomPlay already has applications for iOS that have implemented the functionality from the patent, but on the basis of pressing a button, and now it is demanding compensation from the Apple company. Considering that we are talking about functions that act differently, it is unlikely that Apple will lose this process and pay any compensation, but of course surprises can appear at any time in such processes.
