Sanas.AI, a pioneer in real-time accent translation technology, is pursuing patent infringement claims against voice AI competitor Krisp Technologies. across two major markets, alleging the Berkeley-based company unlawfully copied its breakthrough innovations.

The legal battle began when Sanas filed suit in California federal court on July 7, followed by a separate action in Delhi High Court on July 25. The company accuses Krisp of patent infringement, trade secret misappropriation, and seeks recognition as co-inventor of two U.S. patents improperly issued to Krisp alone.

In India, Sanas claims Krisp’s “AI Accent Conversion” tool violates Indian Patent No. 532328 for “Real-Time Accent Conversion Model.” The lawsuit also alleges Krisp engaged in commercial disparagement by publishing misleading comparative analyses on its public blog.

“Sanas pioneered the concept of accent translation and has earned global recognition for technology that allows speakers to communicate seamlessly across accents without losing individuality,” the company stated. Founded in 2020 by CEO Sharath Keshava Narayana and CTO Shawn Zhang, Sanas positions itself as creating “the world’s first Real-Time Speech Understanding Platform.”

Krisp, however, vehemently denies the allegations. On September 8, the company filed motions to dismiss key claims while launching its own countersuit alleging Sanas infringed Krisp’s noise cancellation patents and engaged in unfair competition.

According to Krisp’s version of events, discussions between the companies during 2021-2022 were “brief and unproductive,” with Sanas never sharing technology or confidential information. Krisp says it terminated talks citing limited technical performance and business misalignment concerns.

Krisp’s countersuit alleges that after discussions ended, Sanas reproduced Krisp’s patented noise cancellation technology and marketed it as “free” to attract customers. Sanas maintains its technology is original and protected by patents in multiple jurisdictions.

The multi-jurisdictional nature of the dispute reflects both companies’ global reach and the international scope of voice AI patent protection. With significant market opportunities at stake, the legal battle could establish important precedents for intellectual property rights in the rapidly evolving voice AI sector.

The matter is listed for September 18 for defendants to file their reply against the interim reliefs sought by Sanas.AI.

In the case in India, Sanas is represented by Senior Advocate J. Sai Deepak, along with Naveen Varma and Naqeeb Nawab of the law firm ZeusIP Advocates LLP.