The Short Version
Oura, WHOOP, and Garmin patent and design lawsuits advanced in court as of June 2026, signaling the wearables market has shifted from building to defending.
Oura, WHOOP, and Garmin are now spending money on lawyers instead of engineers, which is what happens when a product category matures and the fastest way to win is stopping a competitor rather than outbuilding one. Patents and design rights become weapons once companies decide the market is worth defending more than expanding. No single product announcement drove this shift. The courtrooms did.