Oura Sues Over Two Ring Patents

Two days before Oura filed its latest complaint, a new patent was granted that now anchors a legal push to stop sales of a rival smart ring in the United States. The lawsuit, lodged in a Texas federal court, targets Ultrahuman and its contract manufacturer, SVTronics, alleging infringement of two distinct Oura patents covering device design and internal components.

The suit seeks monetary damages and a court order to block US sales of the Ring Pro. Oura argues that the device, launched after a previous product was banned in the US, still incorporates patented innovations from the Finnish company. The company stated that Ultrahuman's claim that its redesign avoided infringement is false, noting that the new ring continues to use protected intellectual property.

The Ring Pro is built at a plant in Plano, Texas, by SVTronics under Ultrahuman's direction. Oura named SVTronics as a defendant in the filing. One of the patents cited, number 12,769,363, was issued just before the complaint was submitted. It covers a smart ring design featuring a housing, a battery, and specific internal parts.

Ultrahuman, based in India, redesigned the Ring Pro following a loss in an earlier dispute. Last year, the US International Trade Commission ruled that the previous model, the Ring Air, violated several Oura patents. That ruling led to a US sales ban for the Ring Air, though the product remains available in Europe and other regions. The Ring Pro redesign received approval from US Customs and Border Protection earlier this year.

A spokesperson for Ultrahuman told Engadget that the company will contest the action and that the Ring Pro remains on sale in the US. The spokesperson said the redesign has already undergone independent review in the United States. Customs and Border Protection concluded in an earlier proceeding that the Ring Pro did not infringe the specific Oura patent considered at that time. The spokesperson added that Oura has now asserted different patents, including the one issued just two days before the lawsuit.

This legal action adds to a period of intense scrutiny 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 fight with Samsung. In 2024, Samsung sued Oura preemptively over concerns regarding the Galaxy Ring, and Oura later filed a counter-suit. As of this summer, the two companies remained locked in that dispute.