Apple hit with trademark lawsuit over iPhone X 'animoji' feature

NEW YORK - A Japanese software company is suing Applein a U.S. court over the trademark for the term animoji, alleging the U.S. technology company stole the name to use on a feature of its iPhone X.Tokyo-based Emonster kk sued Apple on Wednesday in federal court in San Francisco, saying it holds the U.S. trademark on the term animoji and that Apples use of the word is a textbook case of deliberate infringement.An Apple spokesman declined to comment.Apples animoji feature allow users to animate the facial expressions of emojis using facial recognition technology. It will be included on the iPhone X which is scheduled for release in November.Phil Schiller, Apples chief marketing officer, touted the animoji feature during the iPhone X launch event on Sept. 12, calling it a great experience for communicating with family and friends.Emonster chief executive Enrique Bonansea launched an animated texting app in 2014 called Animoji and registered a trademark on the product name, according to the lawsuit.Apple had full knowledge of Emonsters app because it is available for download on Apples App Store, the lawsuit said.Apple decided to take the name and pretend to the world that Animoji was original to Apple, Emonster said in the complaint.Emonster said it is seeking unspecified money damages and a court order blocking Apple from using the term while the lawsuit is pending.Investors see the iPhone X, which will sell for $999, as an opportunity for Apple to refresh a smartphone lineup that had lagged the competition in new features.The iPhone X has wireless charging, an infrared camera and hardware for facial recognition, which replaces the fingerprint sensor for unlocking the phone.Join the conversation about this storyNOW WATCH: The 5 most annoying changes in the new iPhone update ' and how to fix them
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