CA-based Unimaginable Meals Accused of Misusing Personal Investigators in Meat-substitute Patent Struggle

Motif Foodworks informed a Delaware federal court docket that plant-based meat rival Unimaginable Meals improperly employed non-public investigators who donned pretend identities to solicit details about Motif’s merchandise throughout their patent dispute.

In paperwork unsealed on Tuesday, Motif mentioned investigators who falsely claimed to symbolize potential companions began approaching them to acquire samples and different details about its meat substitute shortly after Unimaginable Meals filed a lawsuit accusing Motif of patent infringement.

Motif mentioned in one of many filings that Unimaginable’s use of “false pretenses” to achieve data was “alarming” and “unethical.”

A Motif spokesperson mentioned on Thursday that the filings “converse for themselves.” The corporate has denied Unimaginable’s infringement claims.

Representatives for Unimaginable didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark Thursday. The corporate informed the court docket that Motif’s filings included “exaggerated rhetoric” and had been “nothing greater than an try by Motif to distract from its blatant patent infringement.”

“It is not uncommon, and moral, for patent homeowners to acquire and consider infringing merchandise — akin to Motif’s — within the market,” Unimaginable mentioned.

Redwood Metropolis, California-based Unimaginable sued Motif, a Boston-based spinoff of biotech firm Ginkgo Bioworks, final 12 months. The lawsuit mentioned the “Hemami” ingredient in Motif’s burgers infringes Unimaginable patents associated to a “beef reproduction” product that additionally makes use of a heme protein.

A Delaware decide denied Motif’s movement to dismiss a lot of the claims final 12 months.

Motif staff informed the court docket that they had been approached by folks claiming to work for a fast-food provider and meal-kit service desirous about its product.

A Motif worker mentioned in a submitting {that a} ladies claiming to symbolize the meal-kit service, Sarah Jamil, appeared with the title “Sarah Nasir” on a video name earlier than altering her title throughout it. The worker mentioned she later discovered a Sarah Nasir on LinkedIn who’s the managing accomplice of a personal investigation agency referred to as Integrity One Options.

The Motif worker additionally mentioned the web site for the supposed meal-kit firm, Food4Thought, was “very rudimentary” and didn’t determine the individuals who claimed to symbolize it.

Integrity One and Food4Thought didn’t instantly reply to requests for touch upon the allegations.

One other Motif worker mentioned she was approached at a commerce present in San Francisco by a person named Lindon Lilly who claimed to supply plant-based meals for an undisclosed fast-food chain. The worker mentioned she later discovered Lilly’s LinkedIn profile named him because the president of “California Lively Shooter Academy LLC” and didn’t disclose any hyperlink to meals industries.

A San Francisco-based firm referred to as Rhino Investigation based by a person named Lindon Lilly didn’t instantly reply to a request for touch upon the allegations.

Motif requested the court docket to order Unimaginable to disclose extra communications and requested a protecting order for its personal data.

The case is Unimaginable Meals Inc v. Motif Foodworks Inc, U.S. District Courtroom for the District of Delaware, No. 1:22-cv-00311.

For Unimaginable: Matthew Reed, Wendy Devine and Lori Westin of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati

For Motif: Joseph Paunovich, Sandra Haberny, Ryan Landes and Stephen Wooden of Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan

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