Bumble files counter lawsuit against Match for stealing trade secrets

Earlier this month, dating app Tinder's parent company Match Group sued Bumble for patent infringement. Now, Bumble is returning the favor by filing a lawsuit against Match Group for illegally obtaining trade secrets.

The lawsuit filed by Bumble acknowledges that Bumble and Match Group were in acquisition talks over the last 6 months. Bumble alleges that once Match Group found out there were other companies also interested in either investing in or acquiring Bumble, Match Group filed their aforementioned lawsuit to make Bumble less attractive to those other companies.

Bumble’s suit also claims that Match Group used its position as a potential acquirer to gather Bumble’s private business information during due diligence for competitive reasons. The lawsuit claims Match Group offered to buy Bumble for $450 million last June, what Bumble referred to as a “lowball” offer, then failed to make a serious offer even after looking under the hood at Bumble’s business.

Lastly, Bumble is claiming that Match Group disparaged Bumble, which has potentially affected Bumble’s other investment and acquisition opportunities. Specifically, Bumble alleges that Match Group “published false or disparaging information about Bumble, including statements in the press falsely claiming that Bumble infringed Match’s intellectual property, as well as false statements in the Lawsuit”.

The lawsuit which was filed by Bumble in US District Court in Dallas County, Texas is asking for $400 million in damages.