The running community is staring down the barrel of a problem that’s even worse than shin splints or nipple chafing.
Driving the news: Garmin, the company that makes the smartwatches strapped to wrists of the world’s run clubbers, is dealing with two patent infringement lawsuits in U.S courts; one from rival Finnish smartwatch maker Suunto, and another from workout-tracking app Strava.
- Suunto alleges Garmin ripped off five design patents, ranging from everything to golf swing detection to watch casings, and could seek to block sales of affected models.
Why it matters: The real big deal though is the Strava suit. The company claims Garmin infringed on its heatmap and time segment patents. In retaliation, Garmin allegedly threatened to halt compatibility that allows Strava users to upload activities measured by their Garmin watches.
- Even if connectivity stays online, the courts could end up ordering changes that alter how the products interact, and function more broadly.
Bottom line: The running world is panicked, as the Venn diagram of Strava users (170 million globally) and Garmin wearers (18.6 million units sold last year) is practically a circle. A loss of compatibility right before fall race season begins would be devastating.—QH