The smart ring war is being fought in the courtroom.
The news: After filing a complaint with the US International Trade Commission (ITC), Oura secured a favorable initial ruling against rivals Ultrahuman and RingConn, alleging patent infringement tied to the internal design of its ring.
The judge found all claims valid and called out Ultrahuman for falsifying evidence related to the Indian company’s US-based operations.
Says who. Oura’s core claim hinges on a patent it acquired in 2023, covering the internal arrangement of housing components, batteries, and sensors in a ring form factor.
In response, Ultrahuman argues the patent is overly broad, comprising generic, off-the-shelf components that predate Oura’s invention, and is actively challenging the patent’s validity.
Ring leader. Oura’s legal team is taking on all challengers. In addition to Ultrahuman and RingConn, it settled a patent dispute with Circular through a multi-year licensing agreement and defeated a preemptive lawsuit from Samsung, which was dismissed in March for lack of evidence.
Punchline: As smart rings go mainstream, the real competition isn’t just about features; it’s over who owns the form factor.
