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ZDNET’s key takeaways
- RingConn smart rings can still be purchased in the US.
- The rings were going to be taken off the market on Oct. 21.
- The company secured a licensing agreement with Oura.
Earlier this year, Oura won a patent dispute between Ultrahuman and RingConn, two competitors in the smart ring market. The US International Trade Commission (ITC) determined that the two brands infringed on Oura’s form factor patent, issuing cease and desist orders for Ultrahuman and RingConn.
The cease and desist order was supposed to take effect on Oct. 21. However, thanks to a licensing agreement with Oura, RingConn smart rings evaded the order and can be sold in the US. The same can’t be said for Ultrahuman, the other smart ring company that was found to be infringing Oura’s patent.
Also: Two subscription-free smart rings were just banned in the US – here’s what comes next
The two smart rings are subscription-free, affordable alternatives to Oura’s $350 smart ring (which requires a $70 annual subscription to unlock complete data access).
Starting Oct. 21, Ultrahuman smart rings can’t be imported or sold in the US. Ultrahuman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Also: I tested this Oura Ring 4 alternative that functions similarly (with no subscription)
Oura and RingConn announced a comprehensive settlement and patent license agreement on Tuesday. Oura also entered a multi-year patent licensing agreement with Omate, a lesser-known smart ring brand.
RingConn will continue to be sold on Amazon and in the US, and the company will now make royalty payments to Oura. Omate will get to access Oura’s patent portfolio to develop future smart rings in alignment with Oura’s own patents.
Earlier this year, the ITC found that both Ultrahuman and RingConn participated in “dishonest tactics,” Oura says in a blog post, to develop their own smart rings.
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Now that Ultrahuman’s cease and desist order is in effect, certain features of its smart ring may be disabled, or the brand may have to redesign the form factor of its Ultrahuman Ring Air.
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In an earlier interview with ZDNET about the patent dispute, Ultrahuman CEO Mohit Kumar said the company is working on a new smart ring and will continue its Texas manufacturing factory operations.
“Of course this was a way to slow down competition, but we don’t care,” Kumar told ZDNET. “We’re here for long.”
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