DJI Sues Insta360, Which Responds with a Counter-Suit: A Legal Battle Begins Between the Two Companies
Just hours after the launch of the new Luna Pro and Ultra, the newly presented pocket cameras, Insta360 finds itself dealing with a lawsuit filed by DJI. The basis of the issue is an alleged patent infringement concerning DJI's design patents related to the Osmo Pocket cameras.
In parallel, DJI has initiated a second lawsuit against Insta360 for violating patents related to functionalities implemented in their products. In response, Insta360 has filed a counter-suit against DJI in the United States for infringing patents related to gimbal and 360° camera technology.
A Comprehensive Legal Battle
What is emerging, therefore, is a full-fledged legal battle between the two companies that will be pursued on multiple fronts and could see further developments in the near future. As clarified by PetaPixel, DJI believes that there has been a violation of multiple patents by Insta360. The main issue relates to the design.
In the first lawsuit filed by DJI, a violation of the patent is highlighted, which includes, by way of example but not limited to, the extended portable body, the neck that connects the body to the gimbal arm connection point, the gimbal group, and the camera module on top, the rotatable display and knob, the lower control section housing the scroll wheel and record button, the side-mounted accessory slot, and the port opening at the base.
The second lawsuit, on the other hand, involves the violation of no less than four patents, this time related to the functionalities of the products and not the design. The patents in question pertain to:
- a control device that allows a gimbal to switch from locked mode to tracking mode with a single button
- a system that enables a gimbal to detect and track a subject
- a control system in which the device uses the captured image to provide gimbal commands for subject movement and tracking
- an autonomous system for tracking a subject and viewing the image without resorting to a third-party app
JK Liu, founder of Insta360, commented on DJI's legal action: "At Insta360, we prefer to let our products speak for themselves. But we do not fear a legal battle if challenged. We are fully committed to protecting our innovations and will take decisive measures to defend our intellectual property from any infringements."
The counter-suit by Insta360 is based on the alleged violation of patents relating to:
- gimbal stabilization
- directional control of the gimbal
- smooth camera stabilization
- telemetry data overlay
- panoramic video stabilization technology