What it’s good to know
- Ouraring Inc. filed lawsuits within the Japanese Texas U.S. District Court docket in opposition to Zepp Well being, Reebok, and Noise on Monday for alleged patent infringement.
- Oura beforehand filed a lawsuit in opposition to Samsung in late October, asserting the go well with publicly this week.
- Oura claims the Samsung Galaxy Ring, Amazfit Helio Ring, Reebok Good Ring, and Luna Ring all use designs protected by its ‘178 “Wearable computing machine” patent.
- Oura beforehand sued Ringconn, Round, and Ultrahuman over this identical patent, efficiently compelling the primary two to kind “royalty-based patent licenses” for its IP.
Oura has sued 4 new sensible ring rivals, together with Samsung, for “illegal importation and sale of merchandise that infringe on a number of of Oura’s patents,” it introduced in a weblog put up on Wednesday.
The lawsuits in opposition to Zepp Well being, Reebok, and Nexxbase Advertising and marketing (aka Indian wearable model Noise), depend on the identical patents it efficiently utilized in a U.S. Worldwide Commerce Fee (ITC) case in opposition to Ultrahuman and Ringconn, demanding that they be faraway from sale and banned from U.S. imports.
Oura sued Samsung final month in U.S. District Court docket, claiming that “after defending a number of unprovoked assaults on its patent portfolio,” it wanted to “shield its patent rights.” It introduced the lawsuit publicly this week.
Why Oura is suing Samsung
Oura has patented the idea of placing digital parts, akin to a versatile printed circuit board, battery, and sensors, between the interior and outer layers of a hoop. Unsurprisingly, each competing sensible ring makes use of the same configuration, as curved parts enable a sensible ring to stay slim.
“Innovation that strikes the class ahead is nice for the trade and for customers. On the identical time, it’s important to uphold requirements of originality and respect for mental property,” says Oura.
Oura makes use of these ITC lawsuits to compel rivals to make licensing agreements for its IP, the place they make “royalty funds” to Oura in change for persevering with to promote their product in the USA.
To date, Round, Ringconn, and OMATE have fallen in line, and Oura’s weblog put up says royalty-based patent licenses are the “clear path ahead” for Samsung, Zepp, Reebok, and Noise to “deliver compliant merchandise to market.” Ultrahuman refused to pay for Oura’s licensing and is at the moment interesting an ITC cease-and-desist order in opposition to sensible ring gross sales within the U.S.
Samsung countersued Oura final yr, claiming that “Oura’s sample of indiscriminate assertion of patent infringement in opposition to any and all opponents within the sensible ring market” was an “precise, imminent danger to Samsung.” In different phrases, it sued Oura earlier than Oura might sue Samsung.
In early 2025, a U.S. federal choose dismissed the lawsuit, ruling that Oura’s basic statements about implementing its patents “weren’t directed at Samsung” and “don’t reveal a chance or intent to implement Oura’s patents in opposition to Samsung.”
Whereas Samsung had no authorized proof of Oura’s intent on the time, the latest lawsuit definitely appears to validate their preliminary declare.
Whereas smaller sensible ring manufacturers have been unable to problem Oura’s patents, Samsung has beforehand said that these patents are unreasonably broad, claiming possession of “options frequent to just about all sensible rings, such because the inclusion of sensors, electronics, and batteries.” It could try and invalidate the patents, somewhat than pay Oura off.
As for Zepp Well being, Reebok, and Noise, they could select to observe the trail of Round and Ringconn, paying the licensing charge to keep away from the specter of a gross sales ban.
