Authorized Assembly Required: SolidWorks Files Suit Against Prime Engineering

Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corporation has filed a lawsuit against Prime Engineering Industrial Solutions LLC and several people connected to the company. The lawsuit accuses them of using and copying SolidWorks software without permission. SolidWorks claims the company broke copyright laws, bypassed security features meant to prevent unauthorized use, and violated their contract under Massachusetts law.

SolidWorks is a popular computer-aided design (CAD) software protected by several U.S. copyrights. The company uses special tracking tools that can detect unlicensed use based on device addresses (MAC addresses), location data, email activity, and IP addresses. According to the complaint, these tools found at least 403 instances of unauthorized use on computers tied to Prime Engineering’s offices in Indiana and Arizona. The lawsuit even lists specific computers and links them to named employees and company email addresses.

The complaint says the software was accessed using a tool called “SolidSquad (SSQ),”  which is designed to bypass SolidWorks’ licensing protections, allowing people to use the software without paying for it. SolidWorks says the individuals involved downloaded, installed, or used the software in ways that clearly broke the license agreement, which doesn’t allow any unauthorized copying or use. The company also claims this wasn’t an accident—the defendants continued using the software even after being asked to stop through multiple cease-and-desist letters.

Two individuals named in the lawsuit are Kyle Clever and Michael Rieke. SolidWorks says both played a role in the illegal use of the software. Rieke, the CEO and a key partner at Prime Engineering, is accused of knowing about and allowing the unlicensed use. The lawsuit claims he actively helped and benefited from the continued misuse.

SolidWorks is asking for a jury trial. They request monetary damages and legal fees, plus a court order to stop any future unauthorized use. The company says the actions were willful and that the defendants ignored several chances to settle the issue without going to court.

The case has been assigned to Judge Richard L. Young and Magistrate Judge Mario Garcia in the U.S. District Court of Southern Indiana Case No. 1:25-cv-00756.

Complaint