Summary
- Oura sues Zepp, Reebok, Noise, and Samsung over its smart-ring design patent
- Patent covers placing the battery, sensors, and flexible PCB between ring shells
- Smaller companies likely to license; Samsung may fight the patent as overly broad
There’s no question that Oura is the biggest name in the smart ring business. The company is currently on a patent-wielding crusade to keep it that way, and Samsung and its Galaxy Ring (among others) has found itself in the crosshairs.
Oura announced this week that it has filed new lawsuits against four companies: Zepp Health, Reebok, Nexxbase Marketing (better known as Noise), and Samsung. The core claim is that these companies are all making and selling products that infringe on Oura’s intellectual property.
Oura’s patent includes the general concept of how to put a smart ring together. That includes placing components like a battery, sensors, and a flexible printed circuit board between the inner and outer shells. It’s no mystery that if you look at just about any competitor, you’ll see a very similar design. Just compare the photos of the Oura Ring and Galaxy Ring in this article.
Galaxy RingCredit: Justin Duino / How-To Geek
This is not a new strategy from Oura, and some of the companies they’ve targeted in the past have already fallen in line. Circular, Ringconn, and OMATE have all made deals to license technology from Oura. Unsurprisingly, the company sees this as the “clear path forward” for the latest crop of sued companies as well. Ultrahuman is a notable holdout, refusing to pay the licensing fee, and is now appealing an ITC cease-and-desist order.
Samsung, however, is a different story. Back in 2024, the company tried to get out in front and sued Oura first, claiming that Oura’s pattern of patent aggression was a direct threat to its future Galaxy Ring. A U.S. federal judge threw out that initial suit, saying Oura hadn’t specifically targeted Samsung. Well, now they have.
While smaller companies might not have the resources to challenge Oura, Samsung certainly does. It has previously been argued that Oura’s patents are overly broad, trying to claim ownership over generic elements like putting a battery and sensors inside a ring. Smart rings are a budding business for Samsung, and it likely will explore any route to avoid licensing fees.
As for the others—Zepp Health, Reebok, and Noise—they’ll need to decide if the cost of a licensing fee is lower than the risk of being completely blocked from the U.S. market.
Oura via Android Authority
