- Insta360 launched the Luna Ultra 8K vlogging camera on June 11
- DJI filed a lawsuit the same day, claiming Luna had copied its DJI Pocket 3.
- Due to the current ban on DJI in the United States, Insta360 could benefit from unparalleled availability there.
No sooner had Insta360 revealed its first vlogging cameras, the Luna Ultra and (upcoming) Luna Pro – which are expected to gain unparalleled access to the US market due to the DJI ban – than DJI filed a lawsuit against Insta360 in the US, claiming they were “blatantly copying” 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 serious rival product.
DJI’s latest and greatest vlogging camera, the Pocket 4, launched in April of this year, but the polished successor to the Pocket 3 has yet to be released in the United States, given that DJI is on the FCC’s “covered list,” which currently affects all camera-equipped DJI products, not just its drones. So it’s unlikely to hit US stores anytime soon.
Meanwhile, the Insta360 Luna cameras made quite an impression. Although it’s a first-generation product, the Luna Ultra is refined and features a neat modular design that DJI Pocket cameras lack – check out my first impressions of the Luna Ultra, which I’ve tested extensively.
Now, DJI is getting straight to the point 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 matter is whether the Luna cameras actually infringe the design and utility patents, as DJI claims in its lawsuit.
The DJI/Insta360 rivalry just took it up a notch
I spoke with Max Richter, co-founder of Insta360, at a Luna pre-launch event, and he told me the company was “not going to compete on price” but on premium and exclusive features. Specifically, he was referring to Luna’s innovative detachable remote, which features a 2-inch OLED screen, camera controls, and a built-in mic. However, in the United States, at present, Insta360 does not need to compete with DJI at all, as it has a clear scope in this market.
But Insta360 now faces a potential headache in the form of DJI’s lawsuit. Petapixel reports that DJI has filed two patent lawsuits against Arashi Vision Inc. – which does business as Insta360 – covering two alleged design patent infringements and four utility patents.
The lawsuit claims that the Luna cameras closely copy the design and features of the Osmo Pocket 3, claiming that “Insta360’s new Luna line of 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 suit adds: “From its silhouette to its feature set, the accused products reflect what DJI has spent the better part of a decade designing and patenting for its innovative handheld 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, handle-mounted gimbal architecture, and component layout as DJI’s Osmo Pocket 3. »
Regarding the four utility patents, DJI claims that Insta360 Luna cameras and accessories “copy key features that make the DJI Osmo Pocket unique in the market, including DJI’s innovative subject tracking technology, seamless gimbal mode switching allowing 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 is moved.”
DJI was clearly prepared to file this lawsuit, given that it was filed the day the Insta360 Luna Ultra officially became available for purchase at major US stores, including B&H Photo.
Many US-based vloggers will likely be watching the deal with interest: they’re already missing out on the excellent DJI Pocket 4, and they must hope they aren’t also denied the opportunity to purchase Insta360’s Luna cameras.
Follow TechRadar on Google News And add us as your favorite source to get our news, reviews and expert opinions in your feeds.
