Insta360 Countersues DJI, Asserting Five Patent Violations

Insta360 has countersued DJI for what it asserts are violations of five utility patents covering technology used in gimbal and 360-degree cameras. Insta360 claims these technologies are incorporated into several major DJI products, including the Osmo Pocket, Ronin/RS, Osmo Mobile, and Osmo 360.

Yesterday, DJI filed two patent lawsuits against Arashi Vision Inc., which does business as Insta360, regarding its new Luna gimbal camera. One lawsuit alleges two violations of design patents — stating that the Luna closely copies the design and features of the Osmo Pocket 3 — while the other alleges four utility patent violations that describe multiple usability features.

While Insta360 did not comment directly yesterday, PetaPixel sources familiar with the matter said that the company was taking legal preparations and was ready to file patent countersuits against DJI in the U.S. regarding multiple utility patents related to pocket gimbal cameras and 360-degree cameras. Today, Insta360 did just that via two countersuits.

DJI Ronin 4D | DJI

Insta360 says it “categorically rejects” the patent infringement claims made by DJI.

“At Insta360, we prefer to let our products do the talking. But we are not afraid of a legal battle when challenged,” JK Liu, Founder of Insta360, says. While it is unusual for a company representative to comment directly about ongoing legal proceedings, Liu is known to be quite vocal in defense of his company.

“We are fully committed to protecting our innovations and will take decisive action to defend our intellectual property from infringement.”

The company says that DJI infringed its patents relating to gimbal stabilization, gimbal directional control, camera smooth stabilization, telemetry overlay, and panoramic video stabilization. All of these technologies are utilized in a range of DJI products, including the Osmo Pocket, Ronin/RS, Osmo Mobile, and Osmo 360.

The company says in no uncertain terms that these countersuits are a direct response to the patent lawsuits DJI filed yesterday. Insta360 adds that DJI’s legal filings seek a permanent injunction to ban the Luna Ultra from the United States, and the company believes that the timing and scope of the claims made in the two patent lawsuits are a clear attempt to disrupt the product’s launch.

“Luna Ultra is the result of years of independent R&D, not a response to any competitor’s product,” added Liu, echoing what PetaPixel sources said yesterday. “Development began in 2020, with earlier Insta360 products including the ONE R, Link Series webcams, and Flow Series gimbals helping shape the technology and design direction behind Luna Ultra. DJI filing lawsuits on the same day we launched Luna Ultra speaks volumes — exposing their fear of competition from a highly competitive product.”

These countersuits add to the legal battles in which Insta360 and DJI are currently engaged, as DJI also sued Insta360 earlier this year, alleging patent infringement of its drone-based image processing technology.

Image credits: Insta360