
Zepp Labs will no longer sell its baseball or softball sensors in the US after reaching an agreement with rivals Blast Motion over its patent infringement.
The pair reached a settlement after two years of court battling, with a US District Court recently ruling that both companies infringed on each other's patents. Zepp and Blast Motion, a company which makes similar wearable sensors to its rival, will crucially be keeping their products on the market. Well, all but one, that is.
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As of 17 June this year, Zepp's baseball and softball sensor will no longer be available in the US, despite its devices for tennis, golf and soccer seemingly given the all clear to remain on sale. No further details have been released about the rest of the confidential agreement between the two companies.
Thankfully for its users, Zepp isn't completely giving up on its doomed sensors, saying it will continue to support its existing apps and maintain the features they currently hold, as well as introduce new features to the Apple Watch and other wearables in the future.
Meanwhile, Blast Motion says it will soon announce moves that are in support of Zepp customers. But its own court action may not be done, since it still has patent infringement litigation pending against Diamond Kinetics, another competitor in the space.
How that particular episode ends remains to be seen, but it appears as if dominance in the sports sensor arena will largely be based upon who can remain free of more patent trouble in the future.
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