Oura Sues Ultrahuman and SVTronics Over Ring Pro in Texas
The Finland-based maker claims the redesigned wearable infringes two patents, one of which was granted just 48 hours before the complaint was filed.
By Alexander Novak ·
Oura filed a lawsuit in Texas federal court on Thursday, naming Ultrahuman and its manufacturing partner SVTronics as defendants. The complaint alleges that the Ultrahuman Ring Pro, a smart ring introduced last month, violates two patents held by the Finnish company.
The suit seeks monetary damages and a court order to halt US sales of the device. Oura argues that the Ring Pro, which launched after the company redesigned its earlier Ring Air model, still incorporates patented innovations related to the ring's housing, battery, and internal components.
The legal conflict began last year when the US International Trade Commission ruled that the original Ring Air infringed on Oura's intellectual property. That decision resulted in a US sales ban for the Ring Air, though the product remains available in Europe. Ultrahuman responded by modifying the design, which received clearance from US Customs and Border Protection earlier this year.
Oura disputes that clearance, stating in a blog post that the claim that the redesign no longer infringed their patents was false. The company wrote that the new ring continues to infringe its intellectual property despite the changes.
TechCrunch reported that one of the patents cited in the suit, number 12,769,363, was granted only two days before the complaint was filed. The Ring Pro units sold in the United States are manufactured in Plano, Texas, by SVTronics, which Oura has included in the lawsuit.
Ultrahuman said it will contest the action and that the Ring Pro remains on sale in the US. A spokesperson told Engadget that the redesign has already undergone independent review in the United States. The company noted that Customs and Border Protection previously concluded the device did not infringe the specific patent considered at that time. The spokesperson added that Oura has now chosen to assert different patents and that Ultrahuman will defend its position vigorously.
The case arrives during a period of frequent legal activity for Oura. The company recently announced a partnership with the US military involving a Palantir hosting environment. It is also engaged in a prolonged patent dispute with Samsung, which began in 2024 when Samsung preemptively sued Oura over concerns regarding the Galaxy Ring. The two companies remain locked in that dispute as of this summer.
Source: Engadget
