Strava Sues Garmin Over Fitness Data Features
â–Ľ Summary
– Strava is suing Garmin for patent infringement over its Segments and heatmap features and demanding Garmin stop selling devices with these functions.
– The lawsuit claims Garmin violated a 2015 patent on GPS segments with performance comparisons and two patents on heatmaps showing user workout locations.
– Strava alleges Garmin studied its implementation under a cooperation agreement and used it to build a competing system beyond the agreement’s scope.
– Garmin had heatmap functionality in 2013, potentially allowing its lawyers to argue the related patents should be invalidated.
– Strava seeks a permanent injunction against Garmin’s sales of affected devices but intends to maintain user data syncing between the platforms.
A major legal battle has erupted in the fitness technology sector as Strava files a lawsuit against Garmin, alleging patent infringement concerning two popular features: Segments and heatmaps. The complaint, lodged in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado, seeks to halt the sale of numerous Garmin devices that incorporate these functionalities.
Strava asserts that Garmin is violating its intellectual property rights. The dispute over Segments centers on a patent Strava secured in 2015, originally filed in 2011, which covers GPS-based route segments with comparative timing data. Garmin launched its own version of Segments in 2014 on the Edge 1000 cycling computer, later extending it across other products. Although the companies later collaborated under a Master Cooperation Agreement to integrate Strava Live Segments into Garmin hardware, Strava now alleges that Garmin overstepped this partnership. According to the lawsuit, Garmin studied Strava’s system and used it as a foundation to develop a rival offering, breaching the terms of their agreement.
The legal action also targets Garmin’s heatmap display. Strava points to two patents filed in 2014 and 2016 that involve creating maps from aggregated user activity data. However, industry observers note that Garmin introduced similar heatmap capabilities as early as 2013, raising questions about the validity of Strava’s patents in this area. Some experts suggest Garmin’s legal team could successfully argue for the invalidation of these patents.
Strava claims it has experienced significant harm due to these alleged infringements, including lost revenue, diminished competitive advantage, and damage to its brand reputation. The company sent formal notices to Garmin in June and July of this year, following earlier disagreements. Tensions between the two firms escalated last year when Strava modified its API, impacting third-party applications like Garmin. At that time, Garmin publicly criticized Strava for its data handling practices, particularly regarding the use of Garmin-user data for artificial intelligence training.
In its filing, Strava requests a permanent injunction that would prevent Garmin from selling devices with the contested Segments or heatmap features, a move that could affect a large portion of Garmin’s smartwatch and cycling computer lineup. Despite the legal action, Strava has indicated it does not wish to interfere with Garmin users’ ability to sync their data with the Strava platform, expressing hope that Garmin will similarly prioritize their shared user community.
(Source: Bike Radar)
