Oura Sues Over Ring Pro Patents
The Finnish wearable maker is asking a Texas court to block US sales of Ultrahuman's latest device, claiming it infringes two intellectual property filings.
By Elijah Fitzgerald ·
Oura has filed a lawsuit in a Texas federal court to stop the US sale of Ultrahuman's Ring Pro. The complaint alleges the new smart ring violates two patents held by the Finnish company. One of these patents, number 12,769,363, was granted just 48 hours before the suit was lodged.
The legal action targets the Ring Pro, which Ultrahuman introduced after losing a previous dispute over its Ring Air model. Oura is seeking monetary damages and an injunction that would prohibit Ultrahuman from selling the device in the United States. The company also named SVTronics, a Plano-based manufacturer that builds the Ring Pro for the US market under Ultrahuman's direction, as a co-defendant.
This is the second major legal clash between the two smart ring rivals. Last year, the US International Trade Commission ruled that the Ring Air infringed on Oura's intellectual property. That decision triggered a ban on Ring Air sales in the US, though the product remains available in Europe and other regions. Ultrahuman subsequently redesigned its hardware to bypass the existing patents. Earlier this year, US Customs and Border Protection cleared the new design for entry into the country.
Oura disputes the effectiveness of that redesign. In a blog post, the company stated that the Ring Pro "still incorporates many of Oura's patented innovations and continues to infringe our intellectual property." Oura argued that Ultrahuman's claim of a non-infringing design is false, noting that the device retains key features from the original Ring Air.
Ultrahuman, which is headquartered in India, says it will fight the case. A spokesperson told Engadget that the redesign has already undergone independent review in the United States. The company noted that Customs and Border Protection found no infringement in a prior proceeding. The spokesperson added that Oura is now asserting different patents, including the one issued immediately before the lawsuit, and that Ultrahuman will "defend our position vigorously."
The Ring Pro is currently on sale in the US. This new suit adds to a period of intense legal scrutiny for Oura. The company recently announced a partnership with the US military that utilizes a Palantir hosting environment. It is also engaged in a prolonged patent dispute with Samsung. In 2024, Samsung sued Oura preemptively regarding the Galaxy Ring, and Oura filed a counter-suit later that year. As of this summer, that specific dispute remains unresolved.
