Smart ring makers Oura and Circular on Tuesday announced a settlement in an ongoing patent lawsuit. The agreed terms see the French company enter into a multi-year deal with Oura that will see it license the market leader’s intellectual property for devices sold in the US
Financial details of the deal were kept confidential.
Oura has aggressively defended its technology against competitors. In March, CEO Tom Hale was announced that the company had filed a complaint with the ITC, alleging that Circular and fellow smart ring makers Ultrahuman and RingConn had infringed on multiple patents for their products.
“Unfortunately, when we see companies taking shortcuts that mimic and ride the coattails of our innovation, we have no choice but to take action,” Hale wrote. “We’re clear about where we stand on patent infringement: we’ve spent over a decade investing countless hours of design, scientific research and engineering into our hardware, software and algorithms to create the Oura Ring and Oura Membership experience and we will always protect these efforts.”
The complaints against the Circular specifically related to the formation factor and the Readiness Score, which Oura posits provides insight into mental and physical stress factors. With an agreement in place, Oura will no longer pursue action against the Circular. Similar filings against RingConn and Ultrahuman have not been dismissed. So far no deposits have been made outside the US.
Circular co-founder and CEO Amaury Kosman had some predictably nice things to say about its biggest competitor in a release tied to today’s news. “Oura revolutionized wearable technology ten years ago with the introduction of the Oura Ring,” the executive noted. “We recognize the strength and utility of the foundational patents awarded to Oura, and this agreement rightfully compensates them for their pioneering innovation in smart rings.”
These kinds of deals are not uncommon in the world of consumer devices. Hardware giants like Apple and Google make these kinds of deals all the time, as patent licensing is often a much easier path than a protracted legal battle. However, not every conflict is resolved so easily. Take, for example, complaints filed by medical technology company Masimo, which resulted in a halt to sales of the Apple Watch Series 9 late last year.
