Samsung is suing Oura preemptively to block its astute ring patent claims

Samsung isn’t waiting for Oura to file any patent claims for its upcoming astute ring. Instead, it works preventively filed his own lawsuit v. Oura, seeking a “declaratory judgment” that declares 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 astute rings.” Specifically, the suit refers to sensors, electronics, batteries, and results based on data collected from the sensors. The case cites instances in which Oura has sued competitors such as Ultrahuman, Circular and RingConn, sometimes before they even entered the U.S. market.

For these reasons, Samsung claims in the lawsuit that it expects to be targeted in the Oura lawsuit. And that also brought in revenue. Shortly after the Galaxy Ring announcement, Oura sent an off-the-cuff statement to multiple publishers, including Edge — on the strength of its intellectual property portfolio, noting that it has “100 granted patents, 270 pending patent applications and over 130 registered trademarks.” The lawsuit also refers to: CNBC interview with Oura CEO Tom Hale, in which he said the company will closely monitor Samsung’s Galaxy Ring and “will take appropriate action.” Samsung then cites several other instances in which Hale and other Oura executives touted the strength of the company’s intellectual property portfolio and the fact that it was willing to take action to protect its patents.

Edge contacted Oura about 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 completed in mid-May, mass production is scheduled to begin in mid-June, and it is expected to hit the U.S. market “around August of this year.” It also includes a screenshot of the Samsung Health app showing the “Energy Score” feature based on metrics such as sleep, activity, heart rate, and heart rate variability.

It’s not uncommon to see these types of patent battles in the gadget world. For example, medical device maker Masimo made headlines tardy last year when it won an import ban on ITC’s Apple Watch, claiming it infringed its blood oxygen patents. That said, if the court rules in Samsung’s favor, it could make waves in the astute ring market. Until now, Oura has been virtually unrivaled as the leader in the astute ring market. Samsung is the first high-profile tech giant to throw its hat into the ring — and given its opulent gadget ecosystem, it poses a real threat to Oura in a way that smaller, less recognizable astute ring makers don’t. Plus, Samsung’s victory could give smaller, smarter ring makers some ammunition against Oura.

In any case, Samsung’s entry into the astute ring market is a sign that the category is gaining momentum after several years of postponement. And if the last few months are any indication, Oura may be feeling the heat. It has released several software updates over the past few months while expanding its sales channels to retailers such as Best Buy, Objectiveand Amazon.