Oura Is Suing These Smart Ring Makers
We may earn commission from links on this page.
Just a few months ago, Oura won a lawsuit against rival smart ring makers Ultrahuman and RingConn. Today, they filed lawsuits against four more companies: the makers of the Samsung Galaxy Ring, the Reebok Smart Ring, the Amazfit Helio Ring, and the Luna Ring.
Oura announced on its website that it had filed a complaint with the ITC against these four companies. The ITC is the United States International Trade Commission, and Oura says its complaint concerns “the illegal importation and sale of products that infringe several of Oura’s patents.”
Oura’s previous victory against Ultrahuman and RingConn resulted in a ruling that these companies must stop selling and importing their smart rings. RingConn ultimately reached an agreement with Oura to license its patents and continue selling its rings. Circular and Omate have entered into similar agreements with Oura.
Ultrahuman no longer sells its ring in the United States, but is working on a new ring design that would avoid the alleged patent infringement. You can read Ultrahuman’s take on the situation in this blog post, which also includes a promise to continue supporting rings they’ve already sold or that people can purchase from resellers.
The rings that are the subject of the recent complaint should still be available for some time. Oura says on her blog: “So what’s next? The ITC process will take its course. » There is no guarantee that Oura will win their case, although the fact that they were able to obtain such a sweeping judgment against other companies suggests that it is not too long.
While Oura’s communications on this issue use phrases such as “respect for intellectual property” (i.e. intellectual property), as a consumer and evaluator I hate to see an exciting area of technology being dominated by a single player or, worse, shut down by that player piece by piece. I’m working on a review of the Luna ring, which I’ve already noted has some serious potential improvements over other rings on the market. Let’s hope the smart ring category remains vibrant in the future.
