Sanjay Sharma’s Post

Samsung Electronics has filed a preemptive lawsuit against ŌURA, a smart ring maker, to prevent potential patent infringement claims over Samsung's upcoming Galaxy Ring device. The lawsuit alleges that Oura has a history of aggressively suing competitors, even smaller companies, soon after they enter the US market over common smart ring features like sensors and health metric scoring. Samsung cites examples of Oura suing firms like Ultrahuman, Circular, and RingConn, sometimes before their products launched in the US. It also points to Oura publicly touting its patent portfolio of over 150 patents after the #GalaxyRing was announced, with the Oura CEO hinting they may take legal action against Samsung. By filing this lawsuit, Samsung aims to get a court judgment declaring that the Galaxy Ring does not violate Oura's patents. This would allow Samsung to launch the device, expected around August per the filing, without the risk of an Oura lawsuit. The legal move portrays Oura as an overly litigious "patent troll" trying to stifle competition over basic smart ring functionalities. It's a preemptive strike by Samsung to go on the offensive before the Galaxy Ring's launch to avoid potential patent battles down the line. Follow Amanda Newman to stay up to date with technology. https://lnkd.in/e4ScP9nZ

Samsung Electronics is seeking a California federal court’s judgment that its forthcoming Galaxy Ring doesn’t infringe five Oura Health patents covering “features common to virtually all smart rings.” The Finnish company’s pattern of suing competitors is part of a “declared strategy of asserting infringement against all entrants into the smart ring market” and presents an “imminent risk to Samsung and the sale of its Galaxy Ring product,” according to a complaint filed Thursday in the US District Court for the Northern District of California. Samsung, based in South Korea, said it expects to start mass production of the device by mid-June for an August launch in the US. It seeks a declaration that its Galaxy Ring, which works in tandem with the Samsung Health app, doesn’t infringe US Patent Nos. 10,842,429; 11,868,178; 11,868,179; 10,893,833; and 11,599,147. The Oura patents relate to basic functionalities found in most smart rings, such as sensors, electronics, and batteries. “Each and every time a major competitor has developed and/or released a product that competes in the smart ring market, Oura has filed a patent infringement action against that competitor,” Samsung’s complaint said. Samsung in January teased the new device at a product-launch event in San Jose, Calif. That very day, Oura CEO Tom Hale told TechCrunch his company “has the strongest IP portfolio—in both hardware and software—for the smart ring form factor,” according to the complaint. Oura’s latest rings start at about $300, according to the company’s website. The Galaxy Ring includes features such as heart-rate monitoring, sleep tracking, and an “Energy Score” that assesses the wearer’s readiness based on various health metrics, the complaint said. Oura has alleged in earlier litigation targeting other companies that the same or similar features in competing devices infringe its patents, Samsung said. The U.S. International Trade Commission on April 12 launched a probe based on Oura’s March complaint alleging smart rings by India-based ULTRAHUMAN HEALTHCARE PRIVATE LIMITED; China-based Guangdong Jiu Zhi Technology Co. and its US subsidiary RingConn; and the French company Circular SAS infringe two or more of the ‘178, ‘179, and ‘429 patents. The ITC expects to issue a final initial determination next April 18 and set a target date in August 2025 for completing the investigation. Click for complete coverage, including details about the asserted patents and when Bloomberg Law estimates they'll expire.

Interesting post from one of the top sports equipment bloggers! In a bold legal maneuver, Samsung has filed for a declaratory judgment to preemptively assert that its upcoming Galaxy Ring does not infringe on Oura's patents. This move comes as Samsung prepares to enter the smart ring market, a field pioneered by Oura, a Finnish company known for its innovative health technology. Oura, founded in 2013, has made significant strides in the wearable tech industry. The company gained early traction with a successful Kickstarter campaign and has since grown to sell over a million rings worldwide. Oura's smart rings are renowned for their detailed sleep and health tracking capabilities, earning accolades such as Time magazine's "100 Best Inventions of 2020." It is hard to cheer for a corporate behemoth like Samsung challenging a smaller, pioneering company. This legal battle certainly underscores the competitive nature of the tech industry! Oura's substantial IP portfolio, boasting 100 granted patents and 270 pending applications, reflects a strong commitment to its patent program. It will be interesting to see how it shapes the future of the smart ring market and whether Oura can successfully leverage its patent portfolio in the face of such a formidable competitor. #TechNews #WearableTech #SmartRings #Samsung #Oura #PatentLaw #Innovation https://lnkd.in/e3BqdUCF

Patents for smart products Products are becoming increasingly connected, and this includes not only smartphones and tablets, but also, for example, remote-controlled lawnmowers, smart cars and many other smart devices. Manufacturers of such smart devices, which are typically 4G/5G enabled, face the challenge of licensing the necessary patents for this technology. An example of the complications involved in negotiating such a patent licence is the recent case between Lenovo and InterDigital. #smart #device #5G #4G

You raise an interesting point about the complexities involved in licensing patents for smart, connected products that rely on cellular and wireless communication technologies. As more everyday devices and appliances become "smart" and 4G/5G enabled, negotiating the web of standard-essential patents held by companies like InterDigital becomes a major challenge for manufacturers. The case you allude to between Lenovo and InterDigital likely revolved around Lenovo's need to license InterDigital's patents that cover 3G, 4G and 5G wireless standards in order to build cellular connectivity into their laptops, tablets and other smart devices. InterDigital is what's known as a patent licensing firm or non-practicing entity that doesn't manufacture products but holds a huge portfolio of communication patents that it licenses out. Reaching an agreement on fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory (FRAND) licensing terms for standard-essential patents can be extremely complicated and contentious. There are often disputes over what constitutes a truly FRAND royalty rate given the wide range of device types and selling prices involving the same wireless technology patents. Manufacturers argue for lower royalty rates, especially when adding connectivity to lower-margin devices. Patent holders like InterDigital want to maximize their royalty revenues from an ever-increasing array of connected product categories. This intersection of Internet of Things connectivity and standard-essential wireless patents creates challenging licensing landscapes for smart product makers of all types going forward. Lawsuits often ensue when negotiations fail to produce a mutually acceptable FRAND patent license agreement.

#Huawei Sues #MediaTek for Patent Infringement Huawei Technologies has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against chipmaker MediaTek in a local Chinese court, as reported last Thursday. MediaTek confirmed the lawsuit the following day, stating that it would not significantly impact its operations but declined to provide further details. An insider revealed that Huawei and MediaTek began negotiations over patent fees two to three years ago. However, discussions recently collapsed due to pricing disagreements. Huawei proposed licensing fees based on terminal device prices, which MediaTek found excessively high, leading to the lawsuit. IP analysts believe this lawsuit might suggest a significant shift in Huawei's patent licensing strategy. Traditionally, Huawei has targeted terminal device manufacturers for patent fees. This lawsuit indicates a potential new approach where Huawei may seek fees from component-level suppliers like MediaTek, shifting the licensing tier from the "terminal level" to the "component level." If Huawei's strategy becomes widespread, it could transform the patent licensing landscape in the tech industry. Smartphone manufacturers like Apple, Samsung, Xiaomi, OPPO, and vivo might experience reduced licensing costs as the financial burden shifts to chip suppliers such as MediaTek and Qualcomm. This potential change could significantly impact both the supply chain and consumers, potentially lowering smartphone costs and altering industry dynamics. Photo:dealmoon For more: https://lnkd.in/gkVPBets

Samsung Sues Oura Preemptively To Block Smart Ring Patent Claims: An anonymous reader shares a report: Samsung isn't waiting around for Oura to file any patent claims over its forthcoming smart ring. Instead, it's preemptively filed its own suit against Oura, seeking a "declaratory judgment" that states the Galaxy Ring doesn't infringe on five Oura patents. The suit alleges that Oura has a pattern of filing patent suits against competitors based on "features common to virtually all smart rings." In particular, the suit references sensors, electronics, batteries, and scores based on metrics gathered from sensors. The case lists instances in which Oura sued rivals like Ultrahuman, Circular, and RingConn, sometimes before they even entered the US market. For those reasons, Samsung says in the suit that it anticipates being the target of an Oura suit. Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Samsung Sues Oura Preemptively To Block Smart Ring Patent Claims: An anonymous reader shares a report: Samsung isn't waiting around for Oura to file any patent claims over its forthcoming smart ring. Instead, it's preemptively filed its own suit against Oura, seeking a "declaratory judgment" that states the Galaxy Ring doesn't infringe on five Oura patents. The suit alleges that Oura has a pattern of filing patent suits against competitors based on "features common to virtually all smart rings." In particular, the suit references sensors, electronics, batteries, and scores based on metrics gathered from sensors. The case lists instances in which Oura sued rivals like Ultrahuman, Circular, and RingConn, sometimes before they even entered the US market. For those reasons, Samsung says in the suit that it anticipates being the target of an Oura suit. Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Has Germany become the home of smartphone patent lawsuits? 🔨 Reflecting a little this week, there is quite a long list of patent litigations that have resulted in bans in Germany over the last couple of years. Just a few I could think of (some of which have been resolved) include: 2024 – OnePlus from a lawsuit by InterDigital 2024 – Lenovo cellular products (incl. Motorola) from a lawsuit by InterDigital 2023 – vivo from lawsuit by Nokia 2022 – OPPO & OnePlus from lawsuit by Nokia 2022 – HMD Global from lawsuit by VoiceAgeEVS LLC 2021 – TCL from lawsuit by LG I've probably even missed some... Intellectual property rights are a common but important topic in the smartphone industry. And Germany has become a sweet spot for patent holders in search of a favourable court system that also has potential to add significant pressure for vendors. The goal is of course not too cause too much damage on the vendors - the goal is normally to eventually get paid... Germany is considered large enough to add pressure, but not too large in vendor's total global operations.

Samsung Sues Oura Preemptively To Block Smart Ring Patent Claims: An anonymous reader shares a report: Samsung isn't waiting around for Oura to file any patent claims over its forthcoming smart ring. Instead, it's preemptively filed its own suit against Oura, seeking a "declaratory judgment" that states the Galaxy Ring doesn't infringe on five Oura patents. The suit alleges that Oura has a pattern of filing patent suits against competitors based on "features common to virtually all smart rings." In particular, the suit references sensors, electronics, batteries, and scores based on metrics gathered from sensors. The case lists instances in which Oura sued rivals like Ultrahuman, Circular, and RingConn, sometimes before they even entered the US market. For those reasons, Samsung says in the suit that it anticipates being the target of an Oura suit. Read more of this story at Slashdot.