Oura Sues Ultrahuman Over Alleged Patent Infringement

Oura has filed another lawsuit against its Indian rival Ultrahuman, targeting the latter's U.S. sales of its Ring Pro smart ring.

The complaint, filed in a federal court in Texas, alleges that Ultrahuman's redesigned Ring Pro infringes on two Oura patents related to the design and internal components of the ring, including its battery and sensors.

Ultrahuman had successfully returned to the U.S. market after a redesign of its Ring Pro received clearance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection in March, following an import ban on its earlier model, the Ring Air.

The ban was imposed after Oura secured a patent infringement ruling from the International Trade Commission last August, which found that Ultrahuman had infringed on Oura's patents.

Oura claims that despite redesigning the ring, Ultrahuman continues to infringe on its patents and is seeking monetary damages and a permanent injunction to stop Ultrahuman from selling the Ring Pro in the U.S.

Oura has filed a new complaint against Ultrahuman, alleging that the latter's smart ring, Ring Pro, infringes on two additional patents not covered by the earlier Customs ruling.

One of these newly cited patents, D804,471 and 12,769,363, was issued to Oura just two days before the lawsuit was filed. This patent specifically covers a design for a smart ring that incorporates internal components such as a curved battery, circuit board, magnets, and sensors.

The lawsuit also names Texas-based electronics manufacturer SVTronics as a defendant, alleging that it manufactures the Ring Pro at its facility in Plano, Texas, under Ultrahuman's direction and control. Both companies are accused of infringing on Oura's patents through the manufacture, importation, and sale of the device in the US.

Ultrahuman has responded to the allegations, with co-founder and CEO Mohit Kumar expressing confidence in the Ring Pro and vowing to defend its position vigorously. He noted that the new patent in question was issued just two days before the lawsuit was filed, suggesting Oura is attempting to assert its claims retroactively.

The availability of the Ring Pro remains unaffected by the current legal proceedings, with no court order blocking its sale or distribution in the US.

The ongoing patent dispute between Oura and Ultrahuman has taken another turn as Oura has filed a lawsuit against its rival in the US. This is not the first time these two companies have clashed over patents, with Oura initially suing Ultrahuman in 2023 over its Ring Air smart ring.

Oura's legal actions extend beyond its dispute with Ultrahuman, with the company also pursuing patent infringement claims against several other smart-ring makers. These include Samsung, RingConn, Circular, and Zepp Health, which have all been accused of violating Oura's intellectual property rights.

Some of these disputes have resulted in licensing agreements, with companies like RingConn and Circular agreeing to pay royalties to Oura to continue selling their products. This suggests that Oura is willing to settle its patent claims through monetary arrangements rather than solely pursuing litigation.

The smart-ring market continues to grow rapidly, with research firm IDC predicting a 12.8% increase in global shipments this year to reach around 4.9 million units. By 2030, the market is expected to expand further to approximately 6.3 million units, indicating a significant opportunity for companies like Oura and Ultrahuman.

Oura has continued to enhance its smart rings with new features, including recently introduced fitness metrics that enable users to track how their workouts affect their cardiovascular health. This move comes just weeks after the company shelved its $2.2 billion IPO due to market uncertainty.

Ultrahuman has secured a significant funding boost in recent months, raising $70 million from investors such as Qualcomm Ventures and Labcorp, valuing the startup at approximately $365 million.

This influx of capital comes on top of Ultrahuman's ongoing collaboration with Qualcomm to develop a new smart ring capable of running more complex software directly on the device. The company is aiming to expand its offerings beyond traditional health and fitness tracking into areas such as artificial intelligence interactions and gaming.

Ultrahuman co-founder and CEO Mohit Kumar was quoted as saying something, but that detail has not been specified in this article. As Ultrahuman continues to grow and develop new products, it faces a major challenge from Oura, which is suing the company for the second time.

The latest lawsuit adds to the pressure on Ultrahuman's planned U.S. comeback, which was previously threatened by market uncertainty forcing the company to shelve its $2.2 billion IPO.

Oura's renewed legal battle against rival Ultrahuman has cast a shadow over the latter's planned US market entry. The lawsuit alleges that Ultrahuman infringed on Oura's patented technology related to wearable devices.

The legal dispute comes as Ultrahuman prepares to re-enter the US market, which it had initially shelved due to market uncertainty forcing a postponement of its $2.2 billion IPO.