DJI sues Insta360 over Luna gimbal cameras, seeks US sales ban

DJI has made a big legal move against rival Insta360, with two patent infringement lawsuits against the newly released Luna gimbal camera series in the US. The core of the dispute revolves around the design and functionality of Insta360’s Luna Pro and Luna Ultra.

In the first lawsuit, DJI says Insta360 shamelessly copied the physical architecture of its wildly popular Osmo Pocket 3. The company claims patents on several specific design elements, including the long, handheld body; the rotating display; the control area with scroll wheel; and the gimbal arm connection.

DJI claims Insta360’s new line is a direct copy of the design they invented and is being marketed specifically to compete against the Osmo Pocket. The second lawsuit, which targets the internal technology, claims the Luna series infringes on four of DJI’s utility patents. These patents cover the underlying mechanics of how a handheld gimbal functions.

The company also claims Insta360 copied its methods for toggling between follow and locked modes using a single control, as well as its self-contained system for tracking a subject in real-time directly on the device’s screen without requiring a separate smartphone app. DJI claims the software that controls the gimbal’s motor commands also infringes on its protected intellectual property.

Both lawsuits were filed in the Eastern District of Texas just after the Luna cameras officially went on sale in the US. DJI is pursuing aggressive action, seeking a permanent injunction to halt the sale of the accused cameras, along with damages, profit disgorgement, and extra penalties for what it describes as willful infringement. This latest legal battle further escalates the rivalry between the two camera makers, following a separate lawsuit DJI filed against Insta360 earlier this year over drone-based image processing technology.