US technology giant Apple asked a Beijing court to strike down a

US technology giant Apple asked a Beijing court to strike down a patent ruling by state authorities, as it fights an intellectual property battle with a Chinese firm.

Shanghai-based Zhizhen Network Technology has sued Apple for allegedly infringing its Chinese patent with the “intelligent personal assistant” Siri.

Apple representatives had asked China’s patent review board, which operates under the State Intellectual Property Office, to declare Zhizhen’s original patent invalid.

The body rejected the request, and Apple went to Beijing’s Number One Intermediate People’s Court seeking a judicial review.

Its lawyers told the hearing that Zhizhen’s technology was not original enough or innovative enough to deserve a patent.

The proceedings ended Thursday afternoon and the chief of the five-judge panel said the court would send the parties its decision at a later date.

Outside court, Zhizhen’s president said there was “nothing new” in Apple’s arguments, adding he was not afraid of taking on the US giant.

“Those whose feet are bare do not fear those who wear shoes,” Zhu Pinpin said, using a Chinese saying meaning that those who own little have nothing to lose.

Zhizhen says its earlier “Xiao i Robot” product works in a similar way and has wide applications.

Apple chief executive officer Tim Cook said in January last year that he expected China to become his company’s largest market.

Apple in 2012 paid US$60 million to settle a separate legal dispute with a Chinese firm over the iPad trademark.

Source AP