SerpApi announced that it has filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas against Zilvinas Kucinskas and his company, SearchApi, alleging the systematic theft of SerpApi's proprietary technology and the misuse of its trade secrets to build a product that directly copies and competes with SerpApi.
As detailed in SerpApi’s complaint, Mr. Kucinskas, a former software engineering contractor for SerpApi, allegedly exploited his access to the company’s proprietary information to misappropriate its intellectual property. The complaint alleges that Mr. Kucinskas improperly retained SerpApi’s source code and repeatedly accessed company servers after his work with SerpApi ended in 2021. It further alleges that, 11 days before his departure, he downloaded SerpApi’s proprietary customer list. According to the filing, Mr. Kucinskas used this information to launch a competing company, SearchApi.
"Mr. Kucinskas tried to cover his tracks, but we uncovered his scheme. When confronted, he stonewalled our investigation and feigned ignorance. He refused to cooperate despite multiple attempts to resolve this matter directly. His conduct left us no choice but to file suit. We've only touched on the facts at a high-level here. Our complaint lays out the evidence in detail, supported by a forensic expert's sworn declaration," said Chad Anson, SerpApi's general counsel.
SerpApi states that it has invested tens of millions of dollars and nearly a decade of work developing a solution that provides customers with structured access to public data at enterprise scale. The company alleges that Mr. Kucinskas misappropriated aspects of that work during his brief engagement with SerpApi. SerpApi said it filed the lawsuit to protect its investment, safeguard its customers, and seek appropriate legal remedies. The action, the company added, reflects its broader commitment to maintaining the security and trust its customers rely on.
In the interest of transparency, SerpApi is making the full complaint, the forensic expert’s declaration, and all supporting exhibits available below:
- SerpApi v. SearchApi Complaint, Case No. 1:26-CV-00143 (W.D. Tex., Austin Division, filed Jan. 20, 2026)
- Exhibit 1: Declaration of M. Schroeder
- Exhibits 2–19
About SerpApi
SerpApi is the leading platform for search data, offering API solutions to parse data from Google, Bing, YouTube, and more. Founded in 2017, SerpApi was among the first platforms to provide developers and enterprises worldwide with access to real-time search data. With more than 100 specialized APIs, SerpApi empowers developers, researchers, innovators, and organizations to harness live search data to support their products and missions. Use cases span AI models, SEO, cybersecurity, e-commerce competitor research, and more. For more information, visit serpapi.com.
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