Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
Athletech News
Oura, Circular Settle Patent Fight With Royalty Fee Deal
By Elizabeth Ostertag,
2 days ago
Smart ring giant Oura will allow French brand Circular to continue selling its smart ring and accompanying app in exchange for royalty payments
Oura and Circular, a French smart ring brand, entered into a settlement agreement to conclude patent litigation in a Texas federal court and the International Trade Commission.
As part of the settlement, Oura has dismissed its claims against Circular for patent infringement and granted Circular a multi-year license to allow the French brand to continue selling its smart rings and accompanying app in exchange for royalty payments.
Financial details of the arrangement weren’t disclosed.
“Innovation is core to our culture and long-term strategy,” said Tom Hale , CEO of Oura. “The licensing agreement with Circular validates the strength of Oura’s patents and is only possible because of the significant investment Oura has made in research and development.”
“This agreement is a meaningful outcome for our investors, as well as our scientists, developers, and product teams, and all of those at Oura who innovate every day to ensure that Oura Ring provides accurate, actionable insights for our Members,” Hale added.
Circular smart ring and app (credit: Circular)
In March, Hale announced that the company had filed a complaint with the ITC, alleging that Circular along with smart ring brands Ultrahuman , and RingConn infringed multiple Oura patents.
“Unfortunately, when we see companies take shortcuts that imitate and ride the coattails of our innovation, we have no choice but to take action,” Hale had said.
The complaints against Circular related to the Oura Ring’s form factor and its Readiness Score, a proprietary algorithm the Finnish company developed to provide ring wearers with insights about their physical and mental stress factors.
Oura is no stranger to lawsuits; early this month, Samsung sued the smart ring company to preemptively block any smart ring patent claims. Samsung asked a court to find that the Galaxy Ring doesn’t infringe upon five Oura patents. In the lawsuit, Samsung alleged that Oura has a pattern of aggressive IP protection.
The Galaxy Ring is expected to launch in August 2024
Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
Welcome to NewsBreak, an open platform where diverse perspectives converge. Most of our content comes from established publications and journalists, as well as from our extensive network of tens of thousands of creators who contribute to our platform. We empower individuals to share insightful viewpoints through short posts and comments. It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency: our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. We strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation. Join us in shaping the news narrative together.
Comments / 0