Motive found not guilty of patent infringement

A federal jury has unanimously ruled that technology made by Motive does not infringe on any of Omnitracs’ patents, concluding a lengthy legal battle between the two companies.

The competing safety and fleet tech provider sued Motive in October 2023 alleging the company infringed on several patents related to fleet management systems and technologies.

Specific accusations included unauthorized use of patented technologies involving driver performance assessment, vehicle data processing and transportation management, among others. 

Plaintiffs alleged that Motive used their innovations without permission to enhance its products and services, resulting in unfair competition. They sought damages and a permanent injunction to prevent further infringement.

Thursday’s jury verdict in the U.S. District Court for the District of Northern California ruled unanimously that Motive did not violate any of Omintracs’ patents.

Following the verdict, Motive told FreightWaves in an emailed news release that this “was a win for Motive, its customers, and for innovation across the physical economy.”

“Yesterday’s verdict reinforces what Motive’s customers already know — Motive’s success is driven by the strength of its technology, including industry-leading AI and the breadth of its Integrated Operations Platform,” the release stated.

“Omnitracs chose to wrongfully accuse us of patent infringement, instead of investing their time to build better and more innovative products to serve their customers,” added Shu White, chief legal officer at Motive, in the release. “Today’s victory ensures that customers across the physical economy get access to the best tools in the world to improve the safety, productivity and profitability of their operations.”

Omnitracs could not be reached for comment.

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