| Product renderings: Insta360 and DJI |
DJI and Insta360 have filed patent infringement suits against each other in the U.S., just days after Insta360 launched its new Luna gimbal camera line and amid the buildup for the Osmo Pocket 4P. Indeed, the two devices are remarkably similar: they are both handheld vlogging cameras with two lenses and integrated gimbals, and a similar form-factor.
DJI fired first, filing two lawsuits on June 10, the same day the Luna Ultra went on sale, in the Eastern District of Texas. The complaints allege that the Luna Ultra, its accessories, and app “blatantly copy DJI’s patented inventions,” including its subject-tracking system, follow/lock gimbal modes, and overall physical design. DJI is seeking a permanent injunction that would ban the accused products from the U.S. market, along with damages.
Insta360 isn’t backing down, though. It pushed back today with two countersuits of its own, asserting five patents against DJI. The company claims DJI’s products, including the Osmo Pocket, Ronin/RS, Osmo Mobile and Osmo 360, infringe its patents covering gimbal stabilization and directional control, among other technologies.
The suits from both companies are ongoing
Insta360 CEO JK Liu rejected DJI’s infringement claims, saying Luna Ultra development began in 2020 and is the result of “years of independent R&D, not a response to any competitor’s product.” He characterized DJI’s decision to file on launch day as “exposing their fear of competition from a highly competitive product.”
According to the complaints, DJI sent Insta360 a letter on May 26 putting the company on notice about the patents two weeks before the Luna Ultra launched. That suggests the lawsuits were not filed without warning. The suits from both companies are ongoing, and it remains to be seen how the courts will rule on the competing claims.