Who doesn’t love patent trolls who exist for the sole purpose of suing companies for an alleged slight on some patent that they have no intention of using? This time, Accredited Transcription Corp (ATC), the company in question, is coming after Google’s Voice Recognition and Apple’s Siri in regards to US patent 6,298,326.

The patent in question mentions technology where a user speaks into a device and the sound is transmitted to a central data facility where it are converted to text and sent back to a user. They claim that they are happy to work with companies using the technology. By “work with” they of course mean collect royalties from.

ATC also believes that Samsung’s S-Voice Assistant is in violation of the patent. They are sending cease and desist letters to Apple, Google and other technology companies. They are looking for them to license the technology, pay royalties or stop using the technology altogether.

ATC is willing to litigate if it becomes necessary. In a statement ATC said, “ATC believes that these procedures clearly infringe on the patent and that those who misuse its technology must either license it, pay royalties, or cease using the products. If royalties cannot be achieved through negotiations, ATC will initiate litigation and seek injunctions against those who infringe on the patent.”

[via Techcrunch]