Alarm.com and Vivint have settled all outstanding litigation between the smart home and security companies and entered into a long-term intellectual property license agreement under which Alarm.com will license to Vivint its intellectual property portfolio.
The announcement by the companies provides no further details of the settlement.
Alarm.com first filed the lawsuit in January 2023, alleging that Vivint Smart Home products infringe upon 15 patent patents held by Alarm.com. Specifically, the suit named Vivint Doorbell Camera, Doorbell Camera Pro, Outdoor Camera Pro, Indoor Camera, Car Guard, Sky Control and Smart Hub as having functions that violated Alarm.com’s patents.
The 76-page civil lawsuit (Alarm.com vs. Vivint) (Case No. 2:23-cv-00004), which was filed by Alarm.com (ADC) and ICN Acquisition in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, Marshall Division, on January 4, 2023, asks for a jury trial, an order requiring Vivint to pay an ongoing royalty to Alarm.com of an yet-to-be-determined amount, enhanced damages for up to three times the actual damages, plus attorney’s fees.
Alarm.com, Vivint History Goes Back 15+ Years
The companies’ history with one another dates to 2007 when Vivint became an Alarm.com dealer. During that time, according to the lawsuit, Vivint sold smart home and security packages using Alarm.com’s backend platform that takes the data collected from sensors and cameras in the home and communicates those conditions via a mobile app to users.
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The app then allows touchscreen controls of Vivint panels and networked monitoring components. It also uses GPS technology to provide location-based alerts. The lawsuit says that Vivint then became a “significant” Alarm.com dealer and was made privy to trade secrets and other confidential information.
In 2014, Vivint launched its own platform dubbed Vivint Sky, later renamed to Vivint Smart Home. The lawsuit says, “Vivint has a long history of misappropriating ADC’s technology.”
It further states “Vivint has continued to copy ADC’s innovations and incorporate them into the Vivint Backend.”
In the lawsuit, Alarm.com claimed much of Vivint’s success is due to Alarm.com sharing its trade secrets and patented technology in 2009 to enable Vivint to launch its Go!Control panel, which was manufactured for the company by 2GIG based on specifications provided by the company.
In November, Alarm.com said the company expected the litigation to continue through 2024, but is now anticipating new revenue from this agreement. However, how much will not be known until the company files its 2023 financial report in February 2024.
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