Oura has sued Samsung, claiming the Galaxy Ring infringes its smart-ring patent. Learn what’s at stake in this major lawsuit and how it could reshape wearables.
© RusPhotoBank
Oura, one of the pioneers of the smart-ring market, has sued Samsung, accusing the Korean giant of unlawfully using its patent in the creation of the Galaxy Ring. The lawsuit, filed in a U.S. District Court, centers on patent No. 11,868,178, titled "Wearable Computing Device." It describes a ring design that integrates sensors, electronics, and a curved battery, a component seen as crucial for making slim smart rings.
The complaint targets not only Samsung but three other companies as well: India’s Noise (Nexxbase Marketing), Reebok, and Zepp Health. Oura says these competitors are effectively copying core technical solutions and is seeking royalty payments. On the strength of the same patent, Oura previously compelled Circular and Ringconn to pay licensing fees, while Ultrahuman is contesting a sales ban in the United States.
Samsung had tried to get ahead of the dispute in 2024 by filing a countersuit, arguing that Oura’s patents were overly broad and that the company was attempting to monopolize common smart-ring features. A federal court dismissed that filing, concluding that Oura had not shown an intention to assert claims against the Galaxy Ring.
The picture has now changed: Oura has formally made its accusations, and Samsung will have to defend its new ring in court. The Korean company is likely to again argue that Oura’s patent is invalid or inapplicable. How the case will end remains unclear, but the outcome could shape the entire smart-ring space, which is expanding quickly and increasingly turning into a battleground over intellectual property. It reads like an early stress test for where courts will draw the line between foundational engineering and the features any ring needs simply to function.