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King of the Rings: Samsung sues Oura ahead of Galaxy Ring debut
- Samsung is preemptively suing Oura to prevent patent infringement lawsuits over its upcoming Galaxy Ring.
- The lawsuit alleges Oura has a history of suing competitors over common smart ring features, and Samsung expects to be targeted next.
- Samsung hopes to obtain a ruling from the court confirming that its new Galaxy Ring does not infringe on Oura’s patents.
Samsung is preemptively suing Oura to obtain a declaratory judgment of non-infringement on five of Oura’s patents. The company has taken this legal action before the launch of Samsung’s Galaxy Ring, a new competitor in the smart ring market, which Oura currently dominates.
Furthermore, the suit also confirms that Samsung plans to sell the Galaxy Ring in the US starting in August.
Why is Samsung suing Oura?
The lawsuit focuses on five specific patents held by Oura, which Samsung claims the Galaxy Ring does not infringe upon. These patents relate to various aspects of smart ring technology, such as methods for assessing a user’s readiness score, wearable computing device design, and methods for manufacturing wearable electronic devices.
The lawsuit alleges that Oura has a pattern of filing patent suits against competitors based on “features common to virtually all smart rings,” such as the inclusion of sensors, electronics, batteries, and scores based on sensor data.
Samsung cites instances where Oura had sued rivals like Ultrahuman, Circular, and RingConn, sometimes even before their products entered the US market. The suit further claims that Oura has made public statements indicating an intention to protect its intellectual property and potentially sue Samsung once the Galaxy Ring is released.
What does Samsung want?
Primarily, Samsung seeks a formal legal declaration from the court stating that its Galaxy Ring does not infringe on any of the five patents held by Oura. This would clear the path for the launch and sale of the Galaxy Ring without the threat of legal action from Oura.
Samsung also aims to secure an injunction that would prevent Oura from filing any patent infringement lawsuits against Samsung or its customers related to the Galaxy Ring. We’ve reached out to Oura and Samsung for comments on the lawsuit and will add any updates to this story as they become available.
The outcome of this lawsuit could play a pivotal role in shaping the future of the smart ring industry. A win for Samsung might also give smaller smart ring makers more breathing room and encourage more competition.
It’s widely rumored that the Galaxy Ring will debut at Samsung’s Unpacked event on July 10.