Figma sues Singapore rival for copyright infringement

Figma, a US-based cloud design software firm, is suing its Singapore-headquartered rival Motiff for copyright infringement in the city-state. The case’s outcome could throw Motiff – a startup that was established just over two years ago – off its brief growth trajectory.

In a statement to Tech in Asia, a Motiff spokesperson said these accusations were “unfounded” and rejected any suggestions that it had copied Figma’s source code. “Our code was developed in-house and independently of other organizations,” the spokesperson added.

Figma’s popular tagline / Photo credit: Collins x Figma

The case conference – a closed-door hearing that takes place before a trial where matters like witness details, confidentiality orders, and documents to be produced are discussed – was held yesterday at the Singapore High Court.

Like Figma, Motiff offers collaborative UI/UX design tools for product teams and software developers to build digital products. Unveiled in June, its AI-powered product costs US$4 and US$15 a month, respectively, for a professional and organization set-up.

In comparison, Figma charges US$15 and US$45 for an equivalent plan.

Millions of dollars could be at stake with this case. As recently as December 2023, Figma was reportedly set to end the year with over US$600 million in annual recurring revenue. The company says its collaboration software has been used by “millions of users,” including companies like Netflix, Airbnb, and Zoom, as per the court documents reviewed by Tech in Asia.

The Singapore lawsuit comes after Figma sued Motiff in the US earlier this year. In September, Figma lodged a complaint with the US District Court for the Northern District of California, accusing Motiff and two linked China-based entities of copyright infringement and breach of contract.

However, it’s unclear how far its lawsuit in the US has progressed.

In an email to Tech in Asia, Figma confirmed that it has sued Motiff in the US and Singapore, but it did not comment further as the cases are ongoing.

The allegations

Central to the claims in both lawsuits is how Figma’s source code was allegedly copied by Motiff for its AI-powered UI/UX design tool.

Figma’s offerings include a collaborative online whiteboard tool, a presentation tool, and a workspace that enables a software developer to translate a design file into software code.

According to Singapore court filings seen by Tech in Asia, Motiff has been accused of reproducing “whole or substantial” portions of Figma’s source code, among other claims. Motiff had also allegedly copied Figma’s user interface and web articles from its help center.

In the US court documents, Figma claims that Motiff’s product doesn’t merely “share similar interfaces and commands,” but it “performs identically” to prior versions of Figma Design and the Figma Platform.

What happens next?