Insta360 Crushes GoPro in Final ITC Ruling: A "5-0" Knockout for Action Cam Innovation

After a series of delays, the ruling finally came in on the wire that Insta360 won all five of the patent claims brought against it by GoPro, brilliant news for innovation in the action camera space.

What was officially known as Investigation U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) No. 337-TA-1400 covered five "utility patents" around action cameras, targeting Insta360's image stabilization – including horizon leveling. This kind of tech is used in all premium action cameras, so the idea it could be the subject of a patent claim is a worry for consumers who want to see competition and price controls in this space (even if they do end up choosing GoPro).

There were also claims relating to distortion correction and aspect ratio conversion.

In all cases, the commission found that the patents were invalid or not infringed, and also reversed a previous judgement by an Administrative Law Judge in GoPro's favor.

This is significant because the ITC's ruling is effectively final in these cases, and ends GoPro's policy which has looked, to many, like an attempt to stay ahead not through innovation but using the help of the courts.

JK Liu, founder of Insta360, hinted that he shared this perspective when he said "The ITC's decision reaffirms what the industry has long recognized: Insta360's technology is built on true innovation. The facts spoke for themselves..."

"True innovators compete by building better tools. The ITC's decision allows us to continue doing what we do best: empowering users with bold, boundary-pushing technology."

And perhaps even less subtly:

"The future of this industry should be shaped by better products, not legal tactics that protect market share at the expense of consumers."

Back in the distant past, before I turned to the more enjoyable path of cameras, I picked up a degree in Law, so I can confidently say what is interesting here for the future is the number of patents which the authorities didn't feel were actually something GoPro could use against other companies.

Technologies like image stabilization cannot now be owned by GoPro and licensed – certainly the aspects they attempted in these cases.

This might prove to be good news for consumers in the end, as it increases the incentive for GoPro to earn income from consumer sales by innovating and impressing potential customers.

This is something GoPro has done well recently with the GoPro Max 2, one of the best 360-degree cameras, which is very much a direct competitor to Insta360's home turf.

The future can only get more interesting.