Siri Suit: Apple Sued Again Over 'Deceptive' Commercials

Uh-oh. Looks like Siri is in trouble once again.

The Los Angeles Times recently reported that Apple has hit yet another legal snag thanks to Siri, the voice-activated virtual personal assistant featured on the iPhone 4S.

According to the Times, a Californian man named David Jones is the brave soul standing up to Apple in a U.S. District Court. His suit alleges the following: "Through its nationwide multimedia marketing campaign, Apple disseminates false and deceptive representations regarding the functionality of the Siri feature." Jones alleges that, while Apple's commercials show Siri quickly meeting users' requests, the app isn't actually that efficient at locating restaurants, learning guitar chords and completing other tasks seen in ads.

Jones joins other unhappy iPhone 4S customers such as New Yorker Frank M. Fazio, who earlier in March filed suit against Apple for similar reasons. According to the Wall Street Journal Law Blog, Fazio is alleging that Apple's commercials share a "misleading and deceptive message" about what Siri can do.

While Jones, Fazio, and others are so disappointed with Siri's real-world capabilities that they're willing to sue Apple over the issue, a recent survey conducted by market research and consulting company Parks Associates showed that more than 50 percent of iPhone 4S owners are "very satisfied" with Siri, while an additional 21 percent are "satisfied."

Check out the video below (courtesy of our own Jason Gilbert) to see how Siri's real capabilities compare to those shown in a commercial for the iPhone 4S. Then, make sure to flip through the slideshow that follows to view some of the best submissions from a recent contest hosted by Shapeways, which asked participants to create renderings of what they imagine Siri might look like.

What do you think about Siri and how she works? Let us know in the comments!

[Hat Tip: AppleInsider]

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Comments

[eurisko67]

04:39 PM on 04/02/2012

Yeah! I think they should go for it. Meanwhile, I'm going to sue tide cause they said my stain would come out in one wash, and it took two! Damn their deceptive tactics!

[Jaideep Gajerawala]

11:55 PM on 04/01/2012

I like siri but it rarely works. You have to keep trying it over and over. Very annoying. Apple should address the issue.

[Retro Dude]

08:04 PM on 04/01/2012

When are people going to realize that Siri sucks? Just one big marketing campaign gobbled up by the isheep.

[Sh00Fly]

03:06 PM on 04/01/2012

Somebody needs to get laid.

[Osakhomen]

10:13 AM on 04/01/2012

So how much is they guy suing for? It better not be more than $1000... There is no way the iPhone + plan is worth more than $1000.

[Brogrammer]

08:57 PM on 04/01/2012

Actually the 64GB white model is 849.99 $. The ETF (early termination fee) for ending a contract is usually 200-400$.

This could tip the scales past 1k.

[UtahDude]

09:59 AM on 04/01/2012

Oh boy! If this lawsuit goes through, windows has a problem. Their commercials never show windows crashing. All the car commercials have a problem, since most people drive around and hot women never wait to get into their cars. All the cosmetics commercials would be in deep trouble. If you believe that everything is like it is in commercials, which planet do you come from.

[Brogrammer]

08:59 PM on 04/01/2012

The problem is that in the area where they are showing this (most), it does not work the way they show. Microsoft doesn't make the hardware Windows runs on, which allows them to be immune from such liability. Apple has no excuse as the maker of both the hardware AND software. Is this so hard to understand?

[Shonda CranmoreCedeno]

05:03 AM on 04/01/2012

It is a phone....A PHONE!!!! If you do not like it take it back. This guy must live a boring life if he is suing over a phone. *insert eye roll here"

[Brogrammer]

08:59 PM on 04/01/2012

Holding a company accountable is wrong?

[eurisko67]

04:40 PM on 04/02/2012

Hold them accountable? Why, did they do something wrong?

[PatientZeroBeat]

10:21 PM on 03/31/2012

I think some people thought that a voice activated search feature would somehow magically be light years beyond something like Google. It's physically impossible for this to happen. Voice recognition is just another layer of input translation to a computer (the more direct method being typing it in).

If Siri really was a new way more amazing search engine, then there would also be a version without voice recognition, that you just typed in (to avoid translation errors). But that's not what Siri is at all: it's just a voice translation program for current search engines, with all the limitations that would exist if you didn't type in your query exactly right, even if the voice-text translation was always perfect.

But the same technologically illiterate crowd who thought the Y2K bug would actually cause trouble think Siri is akin to Deep Thought or M5 or Marvin or Data or HAL.

[PatientZeroBeat]

10:07 PM on 03/31/2012

Mr. Jones was disappointed after he spoke into his iPhone and said "Siri, find me a girlfriend".

[firewmn]

05:36 PM on 03/31/2012

False advertising? like the oil commercials...?

[JesusWasNicer]

05:12 PM on 03/31/2012

Advertising is glossy lies.

We should all know that by now.

[ResearchtheFacts]

04:41 PM on 03/31/2012

The gen public is boxing Apple in or more like putting them into crates and separating the rotten ones from the good ones. In a minute their advertising will be limited to "actual and factual" the day of Jobs blowing smoke is over. lol Reality they have been giving Apple a free pass for quite some time now. That's what happens when you start bragging about money or coffers, people start coming after you--a nickel here and a dime there...after a while it will all add up.

[Aoli]

01:40 PM on 03/31/2012

I guess this is why we can't get the beta on the new iPad. They are worried over people that will take a feature to court.

This is the first steps in a innovative technology and people want to cash in on it. I would much rather Apple spend dollars on improving the technology than to frivolous lawsuits.

[J0E1]

09:09 AM on 04/01/2012

I guess this is why we can't get the beta on the new iPad.

More likely:  They are purposely leaving it off and putting it on the iPad4 so people can't live without upgrading... again...

[lurkinman]

01:33 PM on 03/31/2012

Good grief, didn't you try the thing out before you bought it? Whose fault is this?

[born 2b different]

02:09 PM on 03/31/2012

How would you try it out first? Don't get me wrong, I think the suit is junk but I've had my 4S for a month and still haven't reached a verdict.

[rtgmath]

01:21 PM on 03/31/2012

So why don't we hear about people suing the drug companies about their advertisements? Sure they have these little disclaimers -- but they advertise their drugs as if life will be all fields and flowers and sex happening at the drop of a hat or people with impaired lung functions going on hikes in the mountains and all that. Apple' advertisements haven't gone anywhere so far!