Startup warns that Google’s purchase of Spirit’s data may breach IP rights

Springshot, founded by Doug Kreuzkamp in 2011, supplied a widely adopted platform that helped airlines improve efficiency and keep flights on schedule, and it powered Spirit Airlines’ systems for three years up to the carrier’s final flight. As part of Spirit’s bankruptcy proceedings, an auction was held in which Google emerged as the winning bidder for a massive operational dataset. Springshot claims the auction package likely contains substantial portions of its proprietary data and intellectual property, despite the sale agreement only vaguely referencing categories like “productivity and collaboration data.”

The startup lodged a limited objection last month, urging the court to pause the sale until a detailed forensic analysis can confirm that no third-party IP is being transferred. It warns that proceeding without clarification could result in an unauthorized transfer of trade secrets to a dominant tech company, creating a risky precedent for other startups facing bankruptcy sales.