Oura sues Ultrahuman in US as smart ring competition heats up
Oura is suing rival health-tracking wearable company Ultrahuman over its smart ring. In a filing with the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, Oura claims that Ultrahuman has “chosen to willfully infringe several Oura patents and copyrights”. Examples of copyright infringement include social media content and the Oura app UI (see images below).
The company suggests its rival has “blatantly” copied Oura’s wearable technology, hiring ex-employees and approaching current engineering team members. The brand also argues that a primary investor in Ultrahuman had access to “proprietary and confidential information” from Oura, though it did not clarify how this happened. The company goes on to insinuate that Ultrahuman has also copied the appearance and functionalities of the Oura Smart Ring.
The Oura Ring tracks heart rate, HRV, and SpO2 levels, as well as sleep, stress, and exercise. It can also detect illnesses by combining HRV values with skin temperature measurements, with all insights viewable in an accompanying app. Plus, the company recently released new stress and recovery tracking features alongside the Brushed Titanium finish. The Ultrahuman Ring AIR has similar functionality, with heart rate, oxygen saturation, skin temperature, and motion sensors, and app-based analysis. Ultrahuman has yet to respond to the US court case. It is unclear how long this legal process could take or how it will be resolved.