In a legal outcome that affirms the importance of ethics in the fast-growing pet care technology sector, a federal jury has found GrooMore, Inc. and its CEO, Chunliang, Lin liable for trade secret misappropriation and copyright infringement against MoeGo, Inc., a leading software provider for pet care businesses.
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“Building great products takes time, empathy, and hard work-not theft.”
The verdict, delivered on May 22, 2025 in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, follows a seven-day trial in which the jury unanimously found that GrooMore unlawfully used MoeGo's proprietary source code-built over years of innovation and collaboration with thousands of grooming salons, mobile vans, and pet daycare & boarding operators-to launch a competing platform.
What Happened?
The case (No. 2:22-cv-02871-WLH) centered on egregious misconduct by Chunliang Lin, a former early employee of MoeGo, Inc.
Evidence presented at trial showed that Lin willfully breached his employment contract and admitted to unlawfully stealing and misusing MoeGo's third-party vendor resources-including MoeGo's Google Maps API key-in order to support GrooMore's smart scheduling features at MoeGo's expense. This feature alone costs MoeGo millions of dollars annually to power its smart routing for mobile grooming businesses.
Even more concerning, the evidence at trial, and the jury's verdict, together showed the following:
— Lin also stole MoeGo's confidential customer contact lists and early versions of its proprietary source code.
— In collaboration with Jie Zhang-also a defendant in this case, but who failed to respond to MoeGo's complaint and ultimately defaulted-Lin exploited the stolen materials to rapidly launch GrooMore in just two months, a platform that would have otherwise taken years to build.
Together, they deliberately undercut MoeGo's pricing in an attempt to poach its customer base. The jury's unanimous verdict confirms the gravity of these actions and the clear intent to harm a former employer for personal gain.
A Victory for Innovation, Integrity, and the Pet Care Community
“This verdict sends a strong message: in this industry, integrity is not optional,” said Ethan Dong, CEO of MoeGo. “We've built MoeGo by listening to real pet care professionals and solving real problems. We're proud that our work has been validated-not just in the market, but now in a court of law.”
Founded in 2018, MoeGo has become a trusted technology partner to over 10,000 pet care businesses. From smart scheduling and payments to marketing automation and operational analytics, MoeGo's platform empowers business owners to grow with confidence and ease.
Protecting What Matters Most-Our Customers' Trust
At the heart of the case was more than just code-it was the trust MoeGo has earned from the business owners it serves. The jury's decision reaffirms the importance of protecting that trust in a market where shortcuts and opportunism threaten long-term innovation.
“We welcome healthy competition,” Dong continued. “But building great products takes time, empathy, and hard work-not theft. We're grateful to the court and to our legal team for helping us stand up for what's right.”
Learn more about MoeGo at www.moego.pet, or direct questions to:
Maya Shah-CeccottiHead of Marketingmaya@moego.pet
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SOURCE MoeGo
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