As a startup company trying to establish itself in the CBD and hemp market industries, Zappy, Inc. entered into an agreement with MetaBrand to help it build distribution channels, enhance investment opportunities and guide the company through legal and regulatory issues. Now the two companies are locked into a legal battle over the alleged theft of intellectual property.
Dustin Robinson (pictured), founding partner of Mr. Cannabis Law, and Zach Hyman, founder of Millennial Law, two Fort Lauderdale law firms, recently filed a complaint on behalf of Zappy Inc. against HempFusion and MetaBrand. The amended complaint claims the owners of MetaBrand used their access to Zappy’s products to steal its intellectual property and transfer it to HempFusion. As a result, Zappy’s knowledge and expertise in developing CBD products were shared with HempFusion, causing Zappy to fail.
Before the alleged theft, Zappy had planned on using its Cannabis Cup-winning formulas of Theodore Brown to sell hemp-based products around the country.