The smart meter app industry took an interesting turn today when London-based Hugo Energy App settled legal claim with a competitor app claiming copyright infringement.

Hugo smart meter management app has been gaining popularity among homeowners in 2022 as energy prices have forced households to use their data to manage their usage better.

The app the product of energy entrepreneur Ben Dhesi said it “has taken significant hard work and investment to create Hugo and the team at Hugo Energy App will not allow outright copying of in designs and ideas.”

Hugo applied for the legal remedy of an injunction. An injunction is a court order that prohibits a person or entity from engaging in certain conduct, in this case, the rival company was prohibited from reproducing, distributing, parts of the app that were a clear copy of the Hugo design and experience.

The team at Hugo were set to argue that they would suffer irreparable harm if the injunction was not granted, and that the balance of the equities favoured the granting of the injunction.

The case though settled with the rival app we now understand has been removed from the app stores. The competitor company declined to comment or admit that their app breach any copyright laws.

Ben Dhesi, a former lawyer himself said that from the outset we made sure to always consult with legal experts to understand the nuances of copyright law and take the necessary steps to protect our hard work for situations just like this.

“We hope that other competitors choose innovation over imitation as ultimately this is what will create the best use of smart meter technology in the mobile app space.” said Ben Dhesi