Samsung has taken legal action against Oura, seeking a “declaratory judgment” to prevent any patent infringement claims over its upcoming Galaxy Ring. The Verge reports that Samsung wants the court to declare that the Galaxy Ring does not infringe on five of Oura’s patents.
Background of the Lawsuit
The lawsuit argues that Oura has a history of suing competitors over common smart ring features such as sensors, electronics, batteries, and metrics-based scores.
It cites previous cases where Oura sued rivals like Ultrahuman, Circular, and RingConn, often before they entered the US market.
Oura’s Aggressive IP Stance
Samsung’s lawsuit highlights Oura’s aggressive stance on intellectual property.
After the Galaxy Ring announcement, Oura issued statements about its strong IP portfolio, including “100 granted patents, 270 pending patent applications, and 130+ registered trademarks.”
A CNBC interview with Oura CEO Tom Hale noted that Oura would “monitor Samsung’s Galaxy Ring and take the action that’s appropriate.”
Details About the Galaxy Ring
The lawsuit reveals several key details about the Galaxy Ring:
- Hardware design: Finalized in mid-May.
- Production start: Scheduled for mid-June.
- US market launch: Expected in August.
- Features: Includes an “Energy Score” in the Samsung Health app, based on sleep, activity, heart rate, and heart rate variability metrics.
A favorable ruling for Samsung could impact the smart ring market significantly. As the first major tech company to challenge Oura, Samsung could disrupt Oura’s dominant position.
Market Implications
The emergence of Samsung in the smart ring market indicates a growing interest in this category after a period of relative dormancy. Oura has responded with software updates and expanded sales channels in recent months.
Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Ring at MWC 2024, following its teaser at the Galaxy Unpacked event alongside the Galaxy S24. Pricing and rollout details are expected to be revealed at the Unpacked event in July.