Smart rings: market leader Oura sues the entire competition

The boom industry is buzzing. Smart rings that measure fitness and health data are seen as the next big thing after the smartwatch. Especially since Samsung announced in January that it would be launching its own model on the market this year.

The Finnish company Oura launched its ring on the market back in 2017 – as one of the first models. Today, the start-up is the market leader – but it has also faced competition. And is now singing them.

In a press release, Oura announced that it is suing three other manufacturers of smart rings for patent infringements. These are Ultrahuman, RingConn and Circular.

The complaint before the United States International Trade Commission (ITC) concerns the shape and design of the ring and Oura’s smartphone app. However, the manufacturer does not specify which patents are being infringed.

Ultrahuman allegedly poached employees

Oura had already sued the Indian manufacturer Ultrahuman in autumn. The company allegedly copied the sensor for photoplethysmography – the measurement of changes in blood vessels. The sensors for blood oxygen saturation, heart rate and even the marketing strategy were also simply copied. This was because Ultrahuman had poached employees from Oura. And because internal information was passed on via a shareholder.

Oura Ring CEO Tom Hale says that innovations that move the industry forward are always welcome. But that the company must also protect its investments in research and development since its founding in 2013.

Oura has nothing to say about the new competition from tech giant Samsung. Perhaps simply because the Samsung ring has only been shown publicly once so far, at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. And that Oura has not yet been able to investigate whether patents are also being infringed here.