Samsung has launched a preemptive lawsuit against smart ring provider Ōura to prevent potential intellectual property disputes related to its upcoming product, the Galaxy Ring. The lawsuit suggests that Ōura used its patent portfolio to sue smaller entrants in the US smart ring market.

The legal filing from Samsung argues that the Galaxy Ring does not infringe any of Ōura's patents and criticizes Ōura's litigious approach. It accuses Ōura of trying to monopolize features commonly found in all smart rings, such as electronics, sensors, and health metrics.        

Additional details about the Samsung Galaxy Ring were unveiled via lawsuit papers, notably that the design was finalized in mid-May 2024, mass production is expected by mid-June, and a US release is expected around August.

Analyst Quicktake : Previously, Ōura had filed suits against rivals such as Ultrahuman, Circular, and RingConn, in some instances before they even entered the US market. Additionally, earlier this year, Ōura filed suits against the same three companies with the US International Trade Commission (ITC), alleging that they infringed on several of the company’s patents concerning form factor, along with internal and external components, hoping to open an investigation and block the importation of infringing products into the US.