- Insta360 launched the Luna Ultra 8K vlogging camera on June 11
- DJI filed a lawsuit the same day, alleging that Luna had copied its DJI Pocket 3.
- Due to the current DJI ban in the US, Insta360 could enjoy unmatched availability there
As soon as Insta360 introduced its first vlogging cameras, the Luna Ultra and the (upcoming) Luna Pro, which appear to enjoy unmatched access to the US market due to DJI’s ban, DJI filed a lawsuit against Insta360 in the US, alleging that they “blatantly copy” its Pocket 3.
For years, DJI has enjoyed near-total dominance in the compact vlogging camera market with its wildly popular Osmo Pocket series, but it now faces two very real challenges: access to the US market and the first seriously rival product.
DJI’s latest and greatest vlogging camera, the Pocket 4, was released in April of this year, but the Pocket 3’s polished successor has yet to arrive in the US, as DJI is on the FCC’s ‘covered list’, which currently affects any DJI product with a camera, not just its drones. Therefore, it is unlikely to arrive in US stores anytime soon.
Meanwhile, the Insta360 Luna cameras have made a big impression. Despite being a first-generation product, the Luna Ultra is polished and features a sleek modular design that DJI Pocket cameras lack; Check out my first impressions of the Luna Ultra, which I’ve been testing at length.
Now DJI is going for the jugular with its lawsuit, demanding that Luna cameras be banned. I’ve tested both cameras and the user experience is very similar, but the crux of the situation is whether or not the Luna cameras actually infringe design and utility patents, as DJI claims in its lawsuit.
The DJI/Insta360 rivalry just went up a notch
I spoke to Insta360 co-founder Max Richter at an event ahead of Luna’s launch, and he told me that the company was “not going to compete on price,” but on premium and exclusive features. Specifically he was referring to the Luna’s innovative removable remote control, which features a 2-inch OLED screen, camera controls, and built-in microphone. However, right now in the US, Insta360 doesn’t need to rival DJI at all, because it has a clear field in that market.
But Insta360 now faces a potential headache in the form of a lawsuit from DJI. Petapixel reports that DJI has filed two patent lawsuits against Arashi Vision Inc., doing business as Insta360, covering two alleged design patent violations and four utility patents.
The lawsuit claims that the Luna cameras closely copy the design and features of the Osmo Pocket 3, alleging that “Insta360’s new Luna line of Luna gimbal cameras, including, but not limited to, the Luna Ultra, supporting accessories, and the Insta360 mobile app (collectively, the “Defendant Products”) blatantly copy DJI’s patented inventions wholesale.”
The lawsuit adds: “From their silhouette to their feature set, the accused products reflect what DJI has spent the better part of a decade designing and patenting for its innovative wearable gimbal camera systems.
“The visual similarity between the accused products and the design of the DJI Osmo Pocket 3 is striking. [As shown below,] “The accused products share the same general proportions, the same gimbal architecture in the handle, and the same component arrangement as DJI’s Osmo Pocket 3.”
As for the four utility patents, DJI says the Insta360 Luna cameras and accessories “copy key features that make the DJI Osmo Pocket unique on the market, including DJI’s innovative subject tracking technology, seamless gimbal mode switching that allows the camera’s shooting direction to follow the movement of the user’s handle, and a ‘locked’ mode to maintain a fixed shooting direction regardless of how the handle moves.”
DJI was clearly prepared with this lawsuit, given that it was filed on the day the Insta360 Luna Ultra was officially available for purchase at major US retailers, including B&H Photo.
Many American vloggers are likely to be watching with interest: they are already missing out on the excellent DJI Pocket 4 and must hope they are not also denied the opportunity to purchase Insta360’s Luna cameras.
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