HomeAway is being sued for copying Smarter Agent's GPS tech

This platform, owned by Keller Williams, is adamant about its GPS tech

Smarter Agent, a marketplace of multiple listing services, has filed a federal lawsuit against HomeAway, a short-tern rental platform. The issue? Smarter Agent says HomeAway has infringed on the former's patent with the creation of its digital travel guide feature.

Smarter Agent — which Keller Williams acquired in September — claims that HomeAway’s “Hospitality by Glad to Have You” steals its proprietory technology for the app that improves how location-based search queries are conducted.

The lawsuit — filed in U.S. District Court in Texas last month — suggests Smarter Agent’s claim rests on the real-time connection of market data with GPS information. HomeAway, owned by travel site Expedia, is headquartered in Austin, Texas.

Neither Smarter Agent nor HomeAway responded to calls for comment.

The “Hospitality by Glad to Have You” app works as a kind of personalized travel guide for users who rent vacation homes on HomeAway, according to a description in Google Play’s app store."

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