Insta360 has struck back against DJI with five patent claims covering gimbals and 360 degree-cameras – this in apparent retaliation for DJI's patent lawsuit launched the same day Insta360 launched the Luna Ultra gimbal camera.
What will this actually mean. First, of course, we'll get to hear a lot of posturing from the two companies. Insta360's founder JK Liu said "At Insta360, we prefer to let our products do the talking. But we are not afraid of a legal battle when challenged."
The patents that Insta360 has asserted as its own are, according to the company, being used by DJI in a number of its major product lines, including the Osmo Pocket series (the center of the storm, of course), the Ronin/RS series of camera gimbals, the Osmo Mobile series of phone gimbals, and the Osmo 360.
Other than the Ronins, these are all product categories that Insta360 now has at least one competing product in since the June 10 launch of the Luna.
That launch was strong, with the Luna Ultra ranking as the best-selling camcorder in Amazon USA in the 24 hours after launch.
Insta360 has been clear that the Luna Ultra is not a response to DJI's product (though the similarities are evident to me as a reviewer). JK added "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."
Though it may not be related, and I'll leave you to draw your own conclusions, it is interesting that the date of launch on Insta360's side was something of a surprise for those of us covering the industry – coming a little sooner than first anticipated. At the time, I thought it was because some retailers accidentally leaked it.
Crucially, the product will not be disappearing from the shelves, and nor are we expecting to see any changes in the timeline of DJI's product launch.
In many cases, new DJI products have become available through different retailers in the USA – buying the Pocket 4 in the USA is possible – before appearing on DJI's own store anyway, and the Pocket 4 is one of those, so the Pocket 4P may be one of them too.
In these cases, the demand for the products of both companies, which appears global and present now, is likely to result in a behind-the-scenes settlement even should a court decide that a patent belongs to one or other company.
Such a decision, if contested, will be some years away, and neither company will suspect product sales in the meantime. The legal solution, should the court decide it is appropriate, will be one of restitution (in other words, paying the money that was lost).
In the meantime, check our guide to the best pocket gimbal camera.
