Hebrew voice of Siri just sued Apple: Here's why
The artist behind the Hebrew version of Siri has filed a lawsuit against Apple, claiming that the company used her voice for the smart assistant without explicit permission. Galit Gura-Eini, who is a famous radio personality and voice actor in Israel, alleged that Apple didn't acquire proper rights for her voice, and now, it is being used to say 'undesirable things'. Here's more.
Complaint from the Israeli artist
The lawsuit, filed in Tel Aviv's district court, claims that Gura-Eini was surprised to learn that Apple had used her voice for Siri's Hebrew version, which debuted in 2016. Since then, her voice, which the complaint says is "widely identified and associated" with her persona, has been turned "into a vehicle for improper and humiliating speech", including sexist, racist, and violent remarks.
If she never permitted, how Apple got her voice?
You may be wondering if the artist never permitted Apple, how the Cupertino giant managed to use her voice for Siri. The deal is, Gura-Eini recorded her voice for Nuance Communications in 2007 when she allowed the company to use her voice for 'legitimate' purposes. However, Apple claims it had obtained the rights for those recordings from Nuance and compensated the artist as well.
With these recordings, Apple powered Siri
After getting Gura-Eini's recordings as part of an acquisition, Apple was able to extract syllables with an algorithm and power the voice of Siri. A representative from the company also reiterated the same on this matter and said, "Her voice on the Siri app is nothing but syllables joined together by an algorithm." Notably, Apple had also denied the request to remove her voice.
Now, the artist seeks damages
Apple is insistent on its part and the matter is in court, which means the company might have to battle this one out legally. Gura-Eini is seeking approximately $67,000 in damages.
