Cotality Defends Against Hacking Allegations in Federal Court Case with Rival BCI
Property data giant Cotality, formerly CoreLogic, is facing allegations in the Australian Federal Court of systematically hacking into the systems of its rival, BCI, between 2016 and 2020. Cotality’s legal team has downplayed the accusations, comparing the unauthorized access via proxy accounts and data-mining bots to the common practice of sharing Netflix passwords. The company admits to accessing BCI’s LeadManager platform but argues it was solely to count property projects for market analysis, not to steal intellectual property or cause commercial damage. Cotality contends that much of the data was public and of low quality, denying BCI’s claim of $70 million in losses due to customer defections. The defense highlighted that current CEO Lisa Claes was not employed during the alleged incidents, which occurred under former CEO Graham Mirabito. Additionally, Cotality attempted to discredit BCI by noting its founder’s past ties to Cordell, a company now owned by Cotality. The case highlights intense competition in the Australian property data sector, with Justice Jane Needham presiding over the long-running dispute.
Wire timeline
Cotality Defends Against Hacking Allegations in Federal Court Case with Rival BCI
Property data giant Cotality, formerly CoreLogic, is facing allegations in the Australian Federal Court of systematically hacking into the systems of its rival, BCI, between 2016 and 2020. Cotality’s legal team has downplayed the accusations, comparing the unauthorized access via proxy accounts and data-mining bots to the common practice of sharing Netflix passwords. The company admits to accessing BCI’s LeadManager platform but argues it was solely to count property projects for market analysis, not to steal intellectual property or cause commercial damage. Cotality contends that much of the data was public and of low quality, denying BCI’s claim of $70 million in losses due to customer defections. The defense highlighted that current CEO Lisa Claes was not employed during the alleged incidents, which occurred under former CEO Graham Mirabito. Additionally, Cotality attempted to discredit BCI by noting its founder’s past ties to Cordell, a company now owned by Cotality. The case highlights intense competition in the Australian property data sector, with Justice Jane Needham presiding over the long-running dispute.
theaustralian