Samsung is not waiting for Oura to make any patent claims for its upcoming smart ring. Instead, it preemptively filed suit against Oura, seeking a “declaratory judgment” stating that Galaxy Ring No Infringement of five Oura patents.
The lawsuit alleges that Oura has a pattern of filing patent lawsuits against competitors based on “features common to virtually all smart rings.” Specifically, the lawsuit cites sensors, electronics, batteries, and scoring based on metrics collected from the sensors. The case cites instances in which Oura sued competitors such as Ultrahuman, Circular and RingConn, sometimes before they even entered the U.S. market.
For these reasons, Samsung said in the lawsuit that it expected to be the target of Oura’s lawsuit. It also brings receipts. Shortly after the Galaxy Ring was announced, Oura sent a voluntary statement to multiple publishers, including edge — Regarding the strength of its intellectual property portfolio, it noted that it has “100 issued patents, 270 patent applications pending, and more than 130 registered trademarks.” The lawsuit also cited Oura CEO Tom Hale ) in an interview with CNBC, in which he said the company would closely monitor Samsung’s Galaxy Ring and “take appropriate action.” Samsung went on to cite several other examples from Hale and other Oura executives touting the strength of the company’s intellectual property portfolio and its willingness to take action to protect its patents.
edge CNN reached out to Oura about the lawsuit but did not immediately receive a response.
The lawsuit also confirms several details about the upcoming Galaxy Ring. It pointed out that the hardware design was completed in mid-May, mass production is planned to begin in mid-June, and it is expected to land in the U.S. market “around August this year.” It also includes a screenshot of the Samsung Health app showing the “Energy Score” feature based on metrics such as sleep, activity, heart rate and heart rate variability.
In the field of electronic products, such patent battles are not uncommon. Medical device maker Masimo, for example, made headlines late last year when it won an ITC import ban on the Apple Watch, claiming it infringed on its blood oxygen patent. That said, if the court rules in Samsung’s favor, it could have a ripple effect on the smart ring market. So far, Oura is the almost undisputed leader in the smart ring market. Samsung is the first big-name tech giant to enter the fray, and it poses a real threat to Oura given its rich ecosystem of electronics, while smaller, less well-known smart ring makers do not. Additionally, a victory by Samsung on this front could give smaller smart ring makers some ammunition against Oura.
Regardless, Samsung’s entry into the smart ring market signals that the category is heating up after being on the back burner for several years. If the past few months are any indication, Oura may be feeling the heat. It has released several software updates in the past few months while also expanding its sales pipeline to retailers such as Best Buy, Target and Amazon.
