Move Inc. Files Injunction Request Against Unimpressed CoStar

Move Inc. has filed a motion for a preliminary injunction against CoStar and its former employee James Kaminsky from "any further unauthorized access" to files that the firm says unfairly accelerated Homes.com's growth.

Move Inc., the holding company behind Realtor.com, sued CoStar Group (Homes.com) last week for accessing sensitive files via a controversial hire.

The lawsuit claims Kaminsky accessed sensitive documents at least 37 times since leaving Realtor.com in January 2024 and being snapped up by CoStar in March.

CoStar has already rebuked the lawsuit as a PR stunt, but now Move Inc. has added another layer of seriousness to its allegations.

The injunction appears to surround three "key confidential files" that Move seeks to pause Kaminsky's and CoStar's access to during the ongoing lawsuit.

The injunction request would:

...restrain and enjoin Defendants CoStar Group, Inc. and James Kaminsky from any further unauthorized access of the following Move-owned files, and from any use or disclosure of Move’s confidential and trade secret information contained in the files.

It seeks only to stop further unlawful use of specific misappropriated files, preserve evidence, and help Move determine what happened to its stolen information.

Move Inc. does not include a request for Kaminsky to be removed from his role at CoStar—nor that CoStar should not be able to construct and distribute new products.

The so-called Portal War in the United States continues to threaten to burst into flames, and once again CoStar was quick to pour water (or is it gasoline?) on the filing with the firm's general counsel Gene Boxer calling the injunction request "a knee-jerk filing":

"CoStar welcomes the chance to litigate this case on the merits, where Realtor.com and Mr. [Damian] Eales [Realtor.com’s CEO] will no longer be able to hide behind press-statements dressed up as legal arguments.

"Realtor.com’s motion confirms that they’re using a mid-level employee as a pawn, and that they have zero evidence of any involvement by CoStar. None. As we have said from the beginning, this is a PR stunt, and it is backfiring spectacularly.

"Even more telling is the admission in their motion that Realtor.com knew of Mr. Kaminsky’s purportedly improper conduct at least as early as June 3rd, yet they made no attempt to contact him or CoStar to inquire about such conduct. Instead, they waited a month to take any action. And instead of trying to resolve this directly with the parties involved, they went straight to court and the media to tout their filing."

For once, Zillow gets to sit back, relax, and enjoy the show...