Samsung isn't waiting for Oura to file any patent claims on its upcoming smart ring. Instead, it is preventively filed his own lawsuit against Oura, seeking a “declaratory judgment” establishing the Galaxy Ring No infringe 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.” In particular, the lawsuit refers to sensors, electronic components, batteries, and scores based on metrics collected from the sensors. The case lists instances in which Oura sued rivals such as Ultrahuman, Circular and RingConn, sometimes even before they entered the US market.
For those reasons, Samsung says in the lawsuit that it anticipates being the target of an Oura lawsuit. And he also brought receipts. Shortly after the Galaxy Ring was announced, Oura sent an impromptu statement to several editors, including The edge — about the strength of its intellectual property portfolio, noting that it had “100 granted patents, 270 pending patent applications and more than 130 registered trademarks.” The lawsuit also cites a CNBC interview with Oura CEO Tom Hale, in which he said the company would closely monitor Samsung's Galaxy Ring and “take appropriate action.” Samsung goes on to cite several other instances in which Hale and other Oura executives tout the strength of the company's intellectual property portfolio and the fact that it is willing to take steps to protect its patents.
The edge He contacted Oura regarding the lawsuit but did not receive an immediate response.
The lawsuit also confirms several details about the upcoming Galaxy Ring. It notes that the hardware design was finalized in mid-May, is scheduled to begin mass production in mid-June, and is expected to hit the US market “in or around August of this year.” It also includes a screenshot of the Samsung Health app showing an “Energy Score” feature based on metrics such as sleep, activity, heart rate, and heart rate variability.
It is not uncommon to see these types of patent battles in the world of gadgets. Medical device maker Masimo, for example, made headlines late last year when it won an ITC import ban against the Apple Watch, claiming it infringed its blood oxygen patents. That said, if the court rules in favor of Samsung, it could have a domino effect on the smart ring market. Until now, Oura has been virtually undisputed as the leader in the smart ring market. Samsung is the first big-name tech giant to throw its hat in the ring, and given its rich device ecosystem, it poses a real threat to Oura in a way that smaller, less recognizable smart ring makers haven't. Plus, a Samsung win here could give smaller smart ring makers some ammunition against Oura.
In any case, Samsung's entry into the smart ring market is a sign that this category is heating up after a few years of staying in the background. And if the last few months are any indication, Oura may be feeling the pressure. It has released several software updates in recent months while expanding its sales channels to retailers like Best Buy, Aimand amazon.
