In a lawsuit that is likely to divide the fitness community, Strava is suing Garmin.
DC Rainmaker reports that Strava is suing Garmin over the usage of features that are allegedly in violation of their patents. Strava is seeking to secure a permanent injunction against Garmin for using these patents, which could result in Garmin devices being removed from the market.
“Strava has suffered damages, including lost revenue and business opportunities, erosion of competitive differentiation and network effects, harm to goodwill, and unjust gains to Garmin,” stated Strava in the lawsuit.
Lawsuit Context
Strava is upset about Garmin’s use of heatmaps and segments, which also exist separately on their own app and devices. Strava has patents for these features, which led to the lawsuit. Garmin had heatmaps before Strava introduced them. Additionally, other companies have their own versions of heatmaps.
Strava introduced segments before Garmin (2009 vs. 2014), but they didn’t have the patent until after Garmin introduced their own version of it.
What makes this more complicated is that the two sides have a relationship, as evidenced by the introduction of Strava segments on Garmin devices in 2015. Garmin has kept its own version online, but it hasn’t been updated in a long time.
What may have caused the rift comes down to attribution. Strava was transferring Garmin’s data to third parties. Recently, Garmin established a new policy to implement a new attribution system, which Strava didn’t like. Another trigger point was Garmin’s introduction of the Trails feature last May, which displays nearby trails to users.
Strava cited that Garmin has become increasingly aggressive towards them in formal requests to make changes that don’t infringe upon their patents. Ironically, as DC Rainmaker notes, Strava has also been accused of behaving aggressively towards its partners.
What I found interesting is that many in the comments section were quick to defend Garmin over Strava, despite the alleged patent infringements. Many are pondering whether to cancel their Strava subscriptions, noting that Garmin offers devices and a more sophisticated setup compared to Strava and its subscription model.
As Rainmaker notes in his video, gaining a patent is relatively easy, but defending it against competitors is tricky.
To learn more about this lawsuit, click here to read DC Rainmaker’s takeaways, along with statements from Strava regarding their legal actions.
Image/Video Credits: appshunter.io, DC Rainmaker, Tim Foster
