Figma’s legal bid to stop Motiff from selling app has stalled

A US court has delayed a decision on a preliminary injunction motion – an order granted before trial – filed by software firm Figma that would have prevented its rival Motiff from offering its AI design product before a final decision is reached.

The lawsuit in question centers around Singapore-headquartered Motiff’s alleged copyright infringement of San Francisco-based Figma’s source code.

Figma filed this case in September 2024, accusing Motiff and two linked China-based entities of copyright infringement and breach of contract. Figma sought a preliminary injunction motion against Motiff in January.

Photo credit: Motiff

The decision, which was reviewed by Tech in Asia, is the latest development in a legal battle that began last year, when Figma sued Motiff not just in the US but also in Singapore.

Millions of dollars could be at stake with these cases. In July 2024, Figma was reportedly making more than US$700 million in annual recurring revenue. A Bloomberg report cited sources saying that the figure was expected to exceed US$1 billion in 2025.

Figma, which was most recently valued at US$12.5 billion, is also working towards a public listing in the US. The company has reportedly hired investment banking firm Morgan Stanley to lead the IPO process.

A win for Figma in either lawsuit could impede Motiff’s global aspirations.

All set for a jury trial

The District Court of the Northern District of California suspended Figma’s preliminary injunction motion request on May 15. It also set an expedited jury trial for the copyright infringement case on August 18, according to the court order.

A pretrial conference – a meeting with the two parties before the trial begins – is scheduled on August 7.

Figma’s popular tagline on a wall at its office in San Francisco / Photo credit: Collins x Figma

According to the lawsuit, Motiff had a “master subscription agreement” with Figma. This access allowed Motiff to develop its own design tool, which Figma claims was found to perform “identically” to previous versions of Figma Design and the Figma Platform.

In a statement to Tech in Asia, Motiff said the US court’s decision aligns with the company’s position that its product “is the result of original, independent development.” Motiff also stressed that it takes intellectual property seriously – “both our own and that of others.”