Snap One's 2023 lawsuit against AVA for intellectual property infringement relating to patented technology, trade secrets, trade dress and more related to remote controls has been settled.
FDI | Snap One and AVA announced today that they have reached a settlement in the federal lawsuit filed by Snap One in the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah.
While the terms of the agreement are confidential, AVA says the settlement resolves the dispute between Snap One and AVA related to the lawsuit on mutually acceptable terms.
The lawsuit, filed by Snap One in August 2023, alleges that AVA's remote control technologies and other features are copies of Snap's NEEO Remote.
AVA co-founders Raphael Oberholzer and Ted Haeger founded the company with industry experience, the former as a NEEO founder and the latter as an executive at Snap One's Control4 brand.
(After filing the lawsuit in 2023, Snap One was acquired by Resideo Technologies and merged with Resideo's ADI Global Distribution business in June 2024.)
Haeger calls the result a “big win” for the Switzerland-based smart home company, which provides the AVA Cinema Remote and AVA OS for the custom integration channel.
AVA: Companies can now “pursue innovation without restrictions”
Here is the statement made by AVA CEO Oberholzer CE professional:
“I am very happy (and proud) that this federal lawsuit was successfully settled after more than a year and a half of intensive litigation.
“It's no fun when a billion-dollar company is after you. It can be scary sometimes knowing that you are a small startup and have a limited budget to defend yourself. Such a lawsuit could deprive you of resources intended for innovation and potentially harm your business. But once these challenges arise, there is no way around them. That’s why we faced the challenge with the firm attitude of “accepting the challenge”.
“Disagreements between companies are a natural part of a competitive and innovative industry. By entering into this agreement, both AVA Inc. and Snap One value innovation and are committed to the success of the professional installers we serve.
“Our industry couldn’t have asked for a better outcome. This agreement creates clarity in the market and enables both companies to advance innovations without restrictions.”
CE professional has addressed FDI | Contacted Snap One for comment.
Snap One, based in Charlotte, North Carolina, filed the lawsuit on August 14, 2023 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah. In summary, Snap One's 73-page filing states:
- AVA's products infringed on five of Snap One's patents, which cover technologies such as remote control, control systems, media distribution, intercom systems and network architecture.
- The defendants' remote controls were copies of the Snap One NEEO remote control that AVA employees developed while working for Snap One. As a result, Josh and AVA violated Snap One's other proprietary rights, including trade dress, trade secrets, and contractual obligations of confidentiality of information.
Snap One's lawsuit involved Josh.ai's remote technologies, but Josh was not a party to the settlement.
“Josh.ai is aware of the recent agreement between Snap and AVA. While this matter does not directly affect Josh.ai, we remain committed to working together on a fair solution that preserves the integrity of innovation in the industry,” said Alex Capecelatro, co-founder and CEO of Josh CE professional.
“We will continue to focus on providing state-of-the-art home automation solutions for our customers and partners.”
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