Philips files wearables patent complaint against Fitbit and Garmin

The US International Trade Commission (USITC) has said it will formally kick-off an investigation into Fitbit, Garmin and other parties, following a patent complaint from Philips.

Although the original filing was made last month, the probe into now Google-owned Fitbit, Garmin, Ingram Micro, Maintek Computer and Inventec Appliances can now begin after a vote from the USITC. Philips has suggested the parties have violated three of its patents in health monitoring and smart watch products.

Details might be a bit thin on the ground, though the three patents which Philips believes are in violation are:

Although Garmin and Fitbit are well known for their notable presence in the fitness wearables market, Philips has carved its own niche in the highly lucrative healthcare space. It might not be as ‘sexy’ a segment, but it can prove to be incredibly profitable, especially in a market such as North America where private insurance rules the roost.

Philips does have a presence in the consumer wearables space and has even launched a few smart watch products of its own, but these are considerably less successful that the Fitbit or Garmin alternatives. Success matters very little when it comes to patent violations, and Philips has requested the USITC block the import of the devices in question.

What is worth noting is this is not the first instance of bad blood between Philips and Fitbit.

During July 2019, Philips filed another patent infringement case filed in Massachusetts Court focusing on four different patents. These patents related to GPS, the security of data during transmission and fitness related applications. In this example, Philips claimed to have informed Fitbit about the violation, but the US firm did not respond to licensing calls. This case is on-going.