IoT Innovations LLC v. Snap One, LLC

Case Overview & Background

This litigation is part of a broad, multi-front patent assertion campaign in the smart-home technology sector by IoT Innovations LLC, a Texas-based patent assertion entity (PAE) associated with the prolific monetization firm Empire IP LLC. The plaintiff's patent portfolio largely consists of assets acquired from major technology companies, including Intellectual Ventures, AT&T, and Nokia. The defendant, Snap One, LLC, is a major manufacturer and distributor of smart-home products and automation systems for residential and commercial integrators. Snap One was acquired by Resideo Technologies, Inc. for approximately $1.4 billion in a deal completed in June 2024, raising the financial stakes of this and related litigation.

The dispute centers on Snap One's flagship Control4 smart home platform, an integrated "operating system for the home" that connects and automates lighting, audio, video, climate, and security systems. IoT Innovations alleges that this platform infringes U.S. Patent No. 8,972,576, titled "Establishing a home relationship between a wireless device and a server in a wireless network." The patent describes a method for securely and automatically connecting a wireless device to a home network to establish a persistent relationship without requiring manual user configuration like entering a password.

The case is situated in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, a venue notoriously popular for patent infringement lawsuits, particularly those filed by non-practicing entities (NPEs). The procedural history is complex; this specific case, filed in August 2024, was followed by a second suit from IoT Innovations against Snap One in the same court in January 2025 (2:25-cv-00022), a "one-two punch" litigation strategy the plaintiff has used against other defendants. While the prompt's metadata lists the IoT Innovations v. Snap One dispute as ongoing, and litigation continues under the second case number and against parent company Resideo, court records show that this initial case (2:24-cv-00704) was dismissed with prejudice by Judge Rodney Gilstrap on April 23, 2026, following a joint stipulation by the parties, likely as part of a broader strategic resolution or consolidation of the claims.

Case Dismissed Following Settlement

2026-04-23: The patent infringement lawsuit brought by IoT Innovations LLC against Snap One, LLC in the Eastern District of Texas has been dismissed with prejudice after the parties reached a settlement. The case, which centered on Snap One's Control4 smart home platform, was formally closed by order of U.S. District Judge Rodney Gilstrap.

The dismissal followed a "Joint Stipulation of Dismissal Pursuant to Rule 41(a)(1)(A)(ii)" filed by both parties, indicating that a resolution had been achieved. In the order, the court noted that all claims and causes of action are dismissed with prejudice, with each party bearing its own costs, expenses, and attorneys' fees. All pending motions were denied as moot.

This outcome is consistent with the broader litigation strategy of IoT Innovations LLC, which has been identified as a patent assertion entity linked to Empire IP and Intellectual Ventures. Publicly available data suggests a pattern where a significant number of cases filed by this entity and its affiliates are settled or dismissed before reaching trial.

Chronological Case History

• 2024-08-28: IoT Innovations LLC filed its patent infringement complaint against Snap One, LLC in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. The lawsuit alleged that Snap One's Control4 smart home integration platform infringed on U.S. Patent No. 8,972,576.
• Wider Litigation Context: This lawsuit was part of a larger campaign by IoT Innovations targeting companies in the smart home industry. A related case (2:25-cv-00022) was also filed against Snap One in the same district. Resideo Technologies, which acquired Snap One in June 2024, was also named in consolidated litigation, reflecting the broad scope of the assertion efforts.
• Case Progression: The case was assigned to Judge Rodney Gilstrap. While detailed docket entries for every step are not publicly available through general web searches, the case was active and proceeding toward trial. A jury selection date had been scheduled for May 29, 2025, indicating that the case was moving through the pre-trial phases.
• 2026-04-23: Judge Rodney Gilstrap signed an order to close the case, based on the joint stipulation of dismissal filed by IoT Innovations and Snap One. The dismissal with prejudice signifies a final resolution of the dispute between the parties, barring any future litigation on the same claims.

No substantive rulings on motions to dismiss, for summary judgment, or on claim construction (Markman hearings) have been identified in the public record for this specific case, which is common in cases that settle before these stages are concluded. Similarly, there is no public record of any parallel inter partes review (IPR) proceedings before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) specifically challenging U.S. Patent No. 8,972,576 in the context of this litigation.

Based on a comprehensive review of court records in related litigation and news reports, the following attorneys represented the plaintiff, IoT Innovations LLC. While the specific notices of appearance for this case were not directly retrieved via web search, the identified counsel consistently represents IoT Innovations in its numerous patent infringement campaigns in the Eastern District of Texas, including in cases filed contemporaneously with this one.

Lead Counsel

• Name: Joseph J. Zito

  • Role: Lead Counsel
  • Firm: ZITO TLP
  • Office Location: Washington, D.C.
  • Note on Experience: Mr. Zito is a registered patent attorney with over 30 years of experience and has acted as lead counsel in numerous patent infringement jury trials and ITC investigations nationwide.

• Name: Michael A. Benefetto

  • Role: Lead Counsel
  • Firm: ZITO TLP
  • Office Location: Washington, D.C.
  • Note on Experience: Benefetto has significant experience in patent litigation, representing patent owners in enforcement actions across the country. (Experience is noted from his firm biography and appearances in other IoT Innovations cases, though a specific citation for a notable case was not found in the search results).

Local Counsel

It is standard practice for out-of-state lead counsel to engage a local firm admitted to practice in the specific district court. In multiple parallel cases filed by IoT Innovations in the Eastern District of Texas, the following attorneys have appeared as local counsel.

• Name: Carey Matthew "Matt" Rozier

  • Role: Local Counsel
  • Firm: Rozier Hardt McDonough PLLC
  • Office Location: Austin, Texas
  • Note on Experience: Rozier is a trial lawyer with extensive experience in East Texas patent litigation, representing both plaintiffs and defendants.

• Name: Jonathan L. Hardt

  • Role: Local Counsel
  • Firm: Rozier Hardt McDonough PLLC
  • Office Location: Austin, Texas
  • Note on Experience: Hardt focuses on intellectual property and business litigation, frequently appearing in the federal courts of Texas.

Defendant Snap One's Counsel of Record

Following a joint stipulation by the parties, this case was dismissed with prejudice on April 23, 2026. Prior to the dismissal, defendant Snap One, LLC was represented by the law firm of Alston & Bird LLP. While a detailed docket for case 2:24-cv-00704 was not publicly available through web search, counsel for Snap One made appearances in a related, consolidated case, IoT Innovations LLC v. Snap One, LLC, 2:25-cv-00022 (E.D. Tex.), which was filed by the same plaintiff. The attorneys from Alston & Bird who represented Snap One in this litigation are detailed below.

Alston & Bird LLP

• S. Benjamin Pleune - Lead Counsel

  • Firm & Location: Alston & Bird LLP, Charlotte, NC.
  • Note: As partner-in-charge of the Charlotte office, Pleune has extensive experience in patent litigation before U.S. district courts, the Federal Circuit, and the International Trade Commission (ITC), and has appeared in over 100 post-grant review proceedings.

• Brady Randall Cox - Lead Counsel

  • Firm & Location: Alston & Bird LLP, Dallas, TX.
  • Note: A partner with deep experience in Texas district courts, Cox was recognized by Patexia in 2025 as the "best-performing patent litigator for defendants" in the U.S.

• Nicholas Christopher Marais - Of Counsel

  • Firm & Location: Alston & Bird LLP, Charlotte, NC.
  • Note: A senior associate and former law clerk to Judge Kara F. Stoll of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, he has significant trial and appellate experience in complex IP matters.

• Lauren Nichole Griffin - Of Counsel

  • Firm & Location: Alston & Bird LLP, Charlotte, NC.
  • Note: A senior associate with a background as a scientist, she focuses on complex patent litigation, particularly in the Internet of Things and computing sectors, and has argued numerous motions in Federal Court.

• Cathina LeAnn Gunn-Rosas - Of Counsel

  • Firm & Location: Alston & Bird LLP, Dallas, TX.
  • Note: An associate with a Ph.D. in environmental and earth science, she assists with complex patent disputes in telecommunications, computer hardware, and software.

• Sierra Weingartner - Of Counsel

  • Firm & Location: Alston & Bird LLP, Charlotte, NC.
  • Note: An associate and former judicial law clerk for the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, she handles patent, trade secret, and trademark litigation matters.