The parent company of ISellBeer, CPG Data, LLC, is facing a lawsuit from a startup software firm that alleges the company improperly accessed a beta version of its proprietary cloud-based software platform and misappropriated trade secrets in order to reverse engineer a similar platform, according to a complaint filed Wednesday in the District Court of Oklahoma County in the state of Oklahoma.
Behold Business Intelligence Inc., which was founded in 2023 by former Coop Ale Works executive Sean Mossman, is seeking a temporary and permanent injunction to block CPG Data from moving forward with what it claims is a cloned version of Behold’s proprietary “AI-enabled, web-based, mobile software platform” built for beverage distributors. The company is also seeking compensatory damages.
The firm laid out several allegations against CPG Data in its complaint.
According to the lawsuit, Behold allowed an undisclosed number of potential customers to serve as beta testers for its nascent software, providing them with access to a developmental version under “confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements” via “log-in credentials, limited access” and other safeguards “to protect its trade secrets and confidential business information.”
However, representatives of CPG Data allegedly obtained unauthorized access to Behold’s software via a beta tester on or about July 8.
Then, on or about July 10, CPG Data allegedly “obtained unauthorized access” to Behold’s software again “by illicit means to harvest data for the purpose of reverse-engineering the original software.”
After accessing Behold’s software, CPG Data is accused of using “Behold’s confidential trade secrets and business information, including the features, functionality, and design elements harvested from the original software” to build a “cloned” version of the software that Behold believes operates “functionally identical” to its own, according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit alleges CPG Data has since “engaged in a campaign to demonstrate the cloned software to distributors of consumer package goods,” including “parties with whom Behold possesses business relationships and expectancies.”
Behold also claims that CPG Data “refused to cease its activities or to take any corrective action” to a pre-lawsuit demand to cease-and-desist the use of its “trade secrets and confidential business information,” the lawsuit states.
Behold alleges that CPG Data’s actions have “disrupted” its business and it has suffered “irreparable harm” and “will continue to suffer damages in the form of lost contractual relationships, misused proprietary assets, and other damages.”
A motion seeking the injunction alleges CPG Data “is actively utilizing Behold’s trade secrets and confidential business information in an effort to drive Behold out of business.”
“Defendant’s conduct threatens the core of Behold’s business and has the potential to drive Behold into insolvency and permanent failure,” the filing states.
CPG has not returned Brewbound’s request for comment as of press time.
Behold declined to comment.