Oura names Plano maker in suit to stop Ring Pro US sales
The Finnish wearable maker claims the redesigned device violates two patents, including one issued 48 hours before the complaint was filed.
By Benjamin Rousseau ·
Oura has filed a new lawsuit against Ultrahuman in a Texas federal court, seeking to block US sales of the Ring Pro. The complaint alleges the device infringes two Oura patents related to design and internal components.
The legal battle stems from a dispute over the earlier Ring Air model. Last year, the US International Trade Commission found that the Ring Air violated several Oura patents. That ruling resulted in a ban on US sales for that specific product, while it remained available in Europe and other regions. Ultrahuman then redesigned the Ring Pro to avoid those intellectual property claims. US Customs and Border Protection approved the redesign earlier this year.
Oura argues the changes were insufficient. The company stated on its blog that Ultrahuman claimed the redesign no longer infringed patents, but that this claim is false. Oura wrote that the new ring still incorporates many of its patented innovations. One of the patents cited in the suit, number 12,769,363, was granted only two days before the complaint was filed. This patent covers a smart ring design with a specific housing, battery, and internal components.
The US version of the Ring Pro is manufactured in Plano, Texas, by SVTronics under Ultrahuman's direction. Oura has named SVTronics as a co-defendant in the suit. The company is asking the court for monetary damages and an order to stop Ultrahuman from selling the wearable in the United States.
Ultrahuman, which is based in India, says it will contest the action. The Ring Pro remains on sale in the US. A spokesperson told Engadget that the redesign has already been through independent review in the United States. The company noted that Customs and Border Protection concluded the Ring Pro did not infringe the patent considered during the earlier proceeding. The spokesperson added that Oura has now chosen to assert different patents, including the one issued two days before the lawsuit. Ultrahuman said it would defend its position vigorously.
Oura is currently involved in other legal disputes as well. The company recently announced a partnership with the US military that involves a Palantir hosting environment. It is also in a prolonged patent fight with Samsung. Samsung sued Oura in 2024 over the Galaxy Ring, and Oura later filed its own suit against Samsung. As of this summer, those two companies remained locked in that dispute.
The next steps in this case have not been publicly scheduled beyond the initial filing in Texas federal court.
Source: Engadget
