Samsara, the San Francisco-based Internet of Things (IoT) company, has escalated its legal battle with competitor Motive Technologies, filing a new lawsuit in California state court accusing Motive of orchestrating a large-scale scheme to steal trade secrets. The lawsuit, which was filed on Wednesday, claims that Motive, along with its CEO Shoaib Makani, solicited confidential information from former Samsara employees to develop competing products, including dashcams and vehicle fleet management technology.
According to the complaint, Motive’s actions saved the company “years of research and development” and provided it with a significant competitive advantage in the market. Samsara’s legal team argues that Motive exploited sensitive data and strategies to build products that directly rival Samsara’s offerings, undermining the hard work of its employees and tarnishing its business reputation.
This lawsuit adds to a growing legal dispute between the two companies. Earlier this year, Samsara filed separate lawsuits against Motive in Delaware federal court and with the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC), alleging patent infringement. In response, Motive counter-sued in California, accusing Samsara of copying its technology. The legal feud highlights the increasingly competitive market for fleet management and IoT technology, with both companies vying for dominance in a rapidly growing industry.
In a statement, Motive denied the accusations, calling Samsara’s latest lawsuit a distraction from its own product shortcomings. “Samsara’s claims are just another attempt to divert attention from the fact that Motive delivers superior AI technology and value to our customers,” the company said. Motive also pointed to a recent ITC ruling that found Samsara’s case unlikely to succeed, arguing that it weakened the credibility of Samsara’s claims.
Samsara, however, remains firm in its position, stating that the company is “committed to defending our innovation and the work of our dedicated employees.” The company added that it discovered Motive’s possession of confidential Samsara business strategies and other proprietary information during the ITC investigation. The new lawsuit reveals that Motive’s CEO, Shoaib Makani, allegedly instructed his employees to “interview former Samsara employees” who had been hired by Motive and extract as much confidential information as possible about Samsara’s operations and products.
The complaint goes on to allege that this scheme was part of a coordinated effort to help Motive advance its product offerings at the expense of Samsara. As part of the legal action, Samsara is seeking unspecified monetary damages, as well as court orders to prevent Motive from further using or disclosing its trade secrets.
The lawsuit intensifies the battle between two high-profile players in the IoT and fleet management sectors. Both companies have significant backing, with Samsara going public in 2021 with support from Andreessen Horowitz and Motive rebranding from KeepTruckin in 2022. With the market for connected fleet solutions expected to grow significantly in the coming years, the outcome of this legal clash could have far-reaching implications for the industry.
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