SerpApi Files Suit Against SearchApi for Stealing Proprietary Technology

AUSTIN, Texas, Feb. 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- SerpApi filed suit in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas against Zilvinas Kucinskas and his company, SearchApi, for systematically stealing SerpApi's proprietary technology and using 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, exploited his access to SerpApi's proprietary information to pilfer the company's intellectual property. The evidence is damning: Mr. Kucinskas improperly retained SerpApi's source code, and he repeatedly accessed SerpApi servers after stopping work for SerpApi in 2021. Even more egregiously, just 11 days before leaving SerpApi, he downloaded SerpApi's proprietary customer list. Mr. Kucinskas not only stole all this information, he used it to start a copycat 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 has invested tens of millions of dollars and nearly a decade of work building a solution that gives its customers structured access to public data at enterprise scale. Mr. Kucinskas spent a few months stealing it. SerpApi filed this suit to protect that investment, to protect its customers, and to hold him accountable. This action is also part of a broader commitment to reinforcing the security and trust SerpApi's 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 January 20, 2026)
• Exhibit 1 - Declaration of M. Schroeder
• Exhibits 2 - 19

Media Contact: [email protected]

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.

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SOURCE SerpApi, LLC