Overview
- FlightAware filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York on Monday accusing Kalshi of using its data, name and trademark without permission to settle flight‑cancellation contracts.
- The complaint alleges breach of contract, trademark infringement and unfair competition and asks the court for a temporary restraining order, preliminary and permanent injunctions, unspecified damages and a jury trial.
- Kalshi has denied violating FlightAware’s license, argued its references were nominative fair use, added a disclaimer on the markets and has not yet filed a public substantive response to the federal complaint.
- FlightAware told the court that the markets provoked swift public outrage and could create financial incentives to interfere with flights, raising safety and reputational concerns even though Kalshi says it excludes payouts for malicious or security incidents.
- The lawsuit broadens Kalshi’s legal troubles that include a New York state suit seeking at least $36 billion and mixed court rulings in other states, and it could set a legal precedent on whether prediction markets may use proprietary third‑party feeds to settle real‑world events.