Oura Sues Rival Ultrahuman Again Over Smart Ring Patents
Smart ring maker Oura has filed a new lawsuit in a U.S. court against India's Ultrahuman, seeking to stop sales of its redesigned Ring Pro. It is the latest in a long-running series of patent disputes between the two companies.
Smart ring maker Oura on Thursday, October 22, filed a lawsuit in a federal court in Texas against its Indian rival Ultrahuman, which is based in Bengaluru. Oura wants to block U.S. sales of Ultrahuman's redesigned Ring Pro, just months after the device allowed the startup to return to the American market following an import ban.
Oura alleges that the Ring Pro infringes two of its patents covering the ring's design and internal components, including its battery and sensors. It is seeking monetary damages and a permanent injunction that would bar Ultrahuman from selling the ring.
What came before
The redesigned Ring Pro launched in February, and in March U.S. Customs and Border Protection issued a favorable ruling on it, clearing the way for Ultrahuman's return to the U.S. market. Earlier, the older Ring Air had been subject to an import ban, which took effect after Oura won a patent infringement ruling from the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) in August last year.
Oura argues that the Customs ruling covered only the patent involved in that earlier dispute, not the two patents cited now: D804,471 and 12,769,363. The latter was issued on October 20, two days before the complaint was filed, and covers a ring design with internal components such as a curved battery, circuit board, magnets and sensors.
Oura also named Texas-based electronics manufacturer SVTronics as a defendant. The complaint says SVTronics makes the Ring Pro at a facility in Plano, Texas, under Ultrahuman's direction and control. Ultrahuman did not respond to a request for comment.
Wider context
The two companies have been in patent disputes since 2023. Oura has also pursued claims against Samsung, RingConn, Circular and Zepp Health. Some of those cases ended in licensing deals, with RingConn and Circular agreeing to pay royalties to Oura.
Research firm IDC expects global smart ring shipments to grow 12.8% this year to 4.9 million units, and to reach about 6.3 million by 2030. Weeks ago, Oura shelved its $2.2 billion IPO, citing market uncertainty. In September, Ultrahuman raised $70 million, valuing the company at about $365 million.
