Formstack stuck in suit by Oklahoma tech firm

Indianapolis-based Formstack LLC, a subscription-based online form builder, has been named with three other technology firms in a patent-infringement lawsuit.

Tulsa-based MacroSolve Inc., in a suit filed March 4 in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, alleges the firms violated a patent MacroSolve received last October involving a method for managing data collected from mobile computers.

“In one preferred embodiment, the … method is used to collect survey data and to make the responses to the survey available to a client in virtually real time over the Internet,” states the patent.

"Formstack believes this lawsuit is without merit and will vigorously defend itself,” said Chris Byers, CEO of Formstack. He declined to elaborate on the case.

The 14-year old MacroSolve, whose IllumeMobile unit this month rolled out an Android and iPad tablet application for sales pitches, boasted of its chairman’s experience in patent litigation in a March 14 statement.

Jim McGill “has spent the last 20 years consulting with companies on patent-litigation issues with a focus on how to best monetize their [intellectual property],” said MacroSolve.

MacroSolve had 2010 revenue of $638,000, down 49 percent from 2009, and suffered a net loss of $1.9 million. Its accounting firm cited recurring losses from operations and a net capital deficiency, “which raises substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern.”

MacroSolve also sued Texas-based Brazos Technology Corp., Massachusetts-based On the Spot Systems and Virginia-based Blue Shoe Mobile Solutions.

Formstack was founded in 1996 and created a drag-and-drop form builder used for a variety of business applications, including mobile devices. It touts customers in 110 countries, including the Grammy Foundation, Fox Networks Group and Seattle Children’s Hospital.

Formstack has revenue in the range of $1 million to $5 million and is profitable, Byers said.

The company recently changed its name from Formspring to avoid confusion with its social media spin-off, Formspring.me, which Formspring founder Ade Olonoh moved to San Francisco last year.