- Oura has won a patent case against Ultrahuman
- This means that Ultrahuman’s smart rings are now banned in the US
- RingConn has reached a settlement with Oura, ending its ongoing dispute
Bad news, Ultrahuman fans: The popular smart ring maker has been forced to stop selling its devices in the US after it lost a patent case against rival company Oura, with the US International Trade Commission (ITC) ruling that Ultrahuman infringed on Oura’s patents. This now has significant implications for Ultrahuman and users of its devices.
According to a blog post by Oura, the ITC’s final decision enforces exclusion and cease-and-desist orders. What this means in practice is that Ultrahuman is now banned from importing and selling its smart rings in the US, severely limiting a major player from operating in the wearables market – at least for now.
On its own website, Ultrahuman explained that existing owners of the Ultrahuman Ring Air device will be able to continue using it “exactly as before – with subscription-free health insights, relentless feature updates and full warranty support”, provided the product was purchased on or before October 21, 2025. Retailers can continue to sell existing inventory and after this date2 everyone will buy an Air inventory and after this date2 everyone will buy an Air inventory. diagnostics and technical support.
However, retailers will not be able to import or stock Ultrahuman Ring Air beyond what is held in their existing inventory. Once it runs out, you will no longer be able to purchase the device if you live in the US.
In response to the patent lawsuit, Ultrahuman said that “A new ring design is already in development and will be launched in the US as soon as possible,” and that it is also investigating whether a “Made in USA” Ring Air could be produced at its Texas facility.
Beyond that, Ultrahuman added, “We are also anxiously awaiting the US Patent and Trademark Office’s review of the validity of Oura’s ‘178 patent, which it acquired in 2023 and which is central to the ITC ruling. A decision is expected in December.”
Better news for RingConn
The patent dispute centers on the design of smart rings intended to compete with Oura, specifically those made by Ultrahuman and competitor RingConn.
The legal ruling – which was first handed down earlier this year, with the ban taking effect on October 21 – declared that Ultrahuman and RingConn had infringed Oura’s patents relating to the ring’s form factor.
However, RingConn seems to have fared better than Ultrahuman. This is because a settlement has been reached with Oura, whereby all existing disputes between the two companies in the USA have been resolved. Oura has granted RingConn a multi-year patent license, which means you can continue to buy RingConn wearables in the US.
It’s unknown if this is a route that Ultrahuman will take, but it doesn’t seem to have chosen to do so yet. If you’re a fan of the company’s products, you’ll have to pay close attention to see what happens in the coming months.
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