Oura sues to block Ring Pro sales over two patents

Smart ring customers in the United States may face a pause in sales of the Ultrahuman Ring Pro as a new legal battle begins. Oura Health filed a complaint in federal court in Texas on Wednesday, alleging that the wearable device infringes on two specific patents related to design and internal components. The company is seeking monetary damages and a court order to stop Ultrahuman from selling the ring in the country.

The dispute centers on the Ring Pro, which Ultrahuman launched after losing an earlier patent fight over its Ring Air model. Last year, the US International Trade Commission ruled that the Ring Air violated Oura patents, resulting in a ban on its US sales. The product remains available in Europe and other regions. Ultrahuman then redesigned the Ring Pro to avoid the previous intellectual property claims. US Customs and Border Protection approved the redesign earlier this year, but Oura argues the changes were not sufficient to clear its patents.

One key detail in the new filing is the timing of the patent grants. TechCrunch reported that Patent 12,769,363 was issued only two days before Oura filed the complaint. This patent broadly covers a smart ring design featuring a housing, a battery, and specific internal components. Oura stated in a blog post that the new ring still incorporates many of its patented innovations. The company wrote that Ultrahuman’s claim that the redesign no longer infringed their patents is false and that the device continues to infringe their intellectual property.

The suit names SVTronics as a co-defendant alongside Ultrahuman. SVTronics operates a plant in Plano, Texas, where the US market version of the Ring Pro is manufactured under Ultrahuman’s direction. Oura is based in Finland, while Ultrahuman is headquartered in India. By including the manufacturer, Oura targets the physical production of the device in Texas.

Ultrahuman has said it will contest the action and that the Ring Pro remains on sale in the US. A spokesperson for the company told Engadget that the redesign has already undergone independent review in the United States. The spokesperson noted that 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 company added that Oura has chosen to assert different patents, including one that issued just two days before the lawsuit, and that they will defend their position vigorously.

This case adds to a period of intense legal activity for Oura. The company recently announced a partnership with the US military that involves a Palantir hosting environment. It is also engaged in a prolonged patent dispute with Samsung. In 2024, Samsung sued Oura first, citing concerns that Oura planned to take action against the Galaxy Ring. Oura later filed a counter-suit against Samsung, and the two companies remained locked in that dispute as of this summer.