Baidu files suit against Apple and app developers for “Ernie bot” clones.
CHINA (Reuters) – Shanghai Baidu, a major Chinese search engine, has launched lawsuits against “relevant” app developers and Apple Inc. for selling pirated versions of its Ernie bot app.
Last month, the business unveiled its AI-powered Ernie bot, which has been hailed as China’s equivalent to the American-made chatbot ChatGPT.
According to Baidu, legal action against the fake Ernie bot app makers and Apple has been filed in the Beijing Haidian People’s Court.
Late on Friday, Baidu said on the “Baidu AI” WeChat account, “At present, Ernie does not have any official apps.”
It also included an image of the legal document it had filed.
Any Ernie software you find in the software store or anywhere else is false until our company makes an official announcement, it warned.
When contacted for comment, Apple did not provide a response right away.
At least four bogus apps using the Chinese name for the Ernie bot were still available in the Apple App Store as of Saturday, according to a search by Reuters.
Access to the Ernie bot is restricted to those who have applied for and been granted access. Baidu also cautioned against the sale of access codes by third parties in its statement.