Oura Sues Ultrahuman Again Over Ring Pro Patent Infringement Threatening US Comeback
TL;DR
- Oura has filed a new federal lawsuit alleging Ultrahuman's upcoming Ring Pro infringes two key U.S. patents covering smart ring sensor design and PPG signal processing.
- The suit follows a years-long legal battle that led to an ITC import ban and forced Ultrahuman to pull its Ring Air from the U.S. market last year.
- The case threatens to block Ultrahuman's planned U.S. comeback with the Ring Pro, setting up another high-stakes ITC showdown.
A Deja Vu Lawsuit With Higher Stakes
Oura is once again taking Ultrahuman to court. The Finnish smart ring leader has filed a fresh patent infringement lawsuit against its Indian rival, alleging that Ultrahuman's new Ring Pro — the device meant to mark its return to the United States — infringes two Oura patents.
The complaint, filed this week in the Eastern District of Texas, accuses Ultrahuman of willfully copying Oura's protected technology even after losing the last round of litigation. Oura is seeking damages and an injunction that would prevent Ultrahuman from importing or selling the Ring Pro in the U.S.
For consumers, the timing is critical. Ultrahuman just unveiled the Ring Pro with upgraded sensors, longer battery life, and AFib detection, positioning it as a direct competitor to the Oura Ring 4 and Samsung Galaxy Ring. If Oura succeeds, that launch could be dead on arrival in America.
The Two Patents At The Center
This time, Oura is narrowing its fire to just two patents, but both are foundational to how modern smart rings work.
The first patent covers the physical architecture of a smart ring — specifically how the inner protrusions, optical emitters, photodetectors, and light-blocking structures are arranged to maintain consistent skin contact and accurate readings in a tiny form factor.
The second patent focuses on the software and signal processing side, detailing how PPG sensors collect heart rate, heart rate variability, and blood oxygen data while filtering out motion artifacts during sleep and activity.
In the filing, Oura argues the Ring Pro uses the same raised sensor dome design and the same multi-wavelength PPG approach with nearly identical signal correction methods. The company claims it reviewed Ultrahuman's teardowns, marketing materials, and FCC filings to confirm the infringement before suing.
A Bitter History: ITC Ban And U.S. Exit
This is not the first time these two companies have clashed. Oura first sued Ultrahuman in late 2023, followed by a complaint to the U.S. International Trade Commission in 2024 alongside actions against RingConn.
Oura alleged at the time that Ultrahuman's Ring Air infringed five patents related to its Oura Ring Gen 3. In late 2024, an ITC administrative law judge issued an initial determination in Oura's favor, leading to a limited exclusion order and cease-and-desist order.
Rather than redesign or license, Ultrahuman pulled the Ring Air and its M1 blood glucose tracker from the U.S. market in early 2025, while continuing to sell in India, Europe, and the Middle East. Oura CEO Tom Hale framed the win as a defense of years of R&D investment.
Ultrahuman CEO Mohit Kumar, meanwhile, accused Oura of using patent litigation to stifle competition instead of innovating, a stance the company has repeated this week.
Why The Ring Pro Triggered A New Fight
Ultrahuman had been signaling a U.S. comeback for months. The new Ring Pro features a titanium body, new Cardiovascular Pro suite with AFib detection, blood pressure insights, and a claimed 10-day battery life — all without a subscription, a direct jab at Oura's $5.99 per month membership model.
The company recently received FCC certification and began taking U.S. waitlist signups with shipments promised for November 2026.
Oura says that comeback attempt forced its hand. In its complaint, Oura alleges Ultrahuman knew about the two asserted patents from the prior litigation but proceeded anyway, making the infringement willful — a claim that, if proven, could triple damages.
Legal experts say Oura likely chose Texas for its fast trial schedule and patent-owner-friendly juries, a common strategy in wearables disputes.
What It Means For Ultrahuman's U.S. Comeback
The immediate risk for Ultrahuman is not just money, but access. Oura is widely expected to file a parallel ITC complaint in the coming days, which could result in a preemptive import ban on the Ring Pro before it even ships at scale.
The ITC moves much faster than district courts, often deciding cases in 12 to 15 months, and does not require Oura to prove damages — only infringement and a domestic industry.
For Ultrahuman, options are limited: fight in court, attempt a design-around to avoid the patents, settle and take a license from Oura, or delay/cancel the U.S. launch. All are expensive for a startup competing against Oura's scale and Samsung's resources.
The company told reporters it "categorically denies infringement" and plans to "vigorously defend" the Ring Pro, hinting it has re-engineered sensor layouts specifically to avoid Oura IP.
What Happens Next
Expect this battle to escalate quickly. Ultrahuman has 21 days to respond to the Texas complaint, and an ITC filing would trigger a separate investigation with potential hearings in mid-2027.
Meanwhile, retailers and customers are in limbo. Ultrahuman's U.S. waitlist page remains live, but the company has not confirmed whether launch plans will change.
One thing is clear: the smart ring wars are no longer just about sleep scores and battery life. With Oura holding over 100 granted U.S. patents and aggressively enforcing them, intellectual property has become the biggest moat in the $2 billion smart ring market — and Ultrahuman will have to break through it to return to America.
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