Strava hits Garmin with a lawsuit that might put its wearables on the road

Strava and Garmin have been buddies for years, however the activity-tracking app is taking the smartwatch king to court docket over alleged copyright infringements. Garmin, which powers a large share of smartwatches and bike computer systems that feed information into Strava, is being sued for utilizing two of Strava’s patents with out permission: segments and warmth maps.

The lawsuit doesn’t come as a complete shock — it is the newest blow in a decade-old stress that is simmered because the two health giants signed a Grasp Cooperation Settlement (MCA) again in 2015. So what precisely is Garmin beneath hearth for? And why is Strava going after its oldest companion within the race?

Breaking down the Strava-Garmin lawsuit

The segment-struggle and the heat-map-headache

This lawsuit stems from some built-up stress. Again in July, Garmin introduced new developer guidelines that impacted all of its API companions — third-party companies that use a specialised connection to mechanically sync information from Garmin units.

These new guidelines required that any information collected from a Garmin system needed to be explicitly attributed to Garmin on companion platforms. So, should you logged a run in your Forerunner and synced it to Strava, Garmin’s identify could be on the exercise in that app.

Garmin gave Strava (and all its companions) till November 1, 2025, to conform. As you may think about, Strava didn’t like that. Its Chief Product Officer took to r/Strava in an try and clear issues up:

Salazar justified the authorized motion by saying that Garmin cared “extra about their advertising” than the consumer’s expertise. Strava thought-about Garmin’s transfer “blatant promoting,” and basically could not abdomen the transfer. To the courtroom they go.

Strava and Garmin have clashed earlier than. Actually, the authorized drama between them dates again over a decade. In 2015, Strava patented segments — brief stretches of highway or path the place customers might evaluate their efficiency towards others (or themselves).

Nevertheless, in early 2014, Garmin launched its personal segments function on a cycling device, which prompted the 2 firms to signal a Grasp Cooperation Settlement (MCA) in 2015 that basically let Garmin use Strava’s extra widespread Dwell Segments. Downside solved, proper?

Unsuitable.

Strava’s September 30 lawsuit (10 years later) alleges that Garmin “expanded nicely past that settlement’s scope,” per DC Rainmaker. In essence, Strava claims Garmin’s continued use of its personal branded segments violates the unique deal. The puzzling piece, although, is that this particular function is unpopular and (plainly) too previous to care about, per some consumer commentary. However there’s extra.

The opposite half of the lawsuit revolves round warmth maps, which is a Strava function that exhibits the place different customers in your space run or trip, which might help you discover widespread routes. Strava claimed that Garmin infringed upon its 2016 patent there through the use of warmth maps and different reputation routing instruments on a number of of its units, corresponding to its Edge biking computer systems and the Forerunner, Fenix, and Epix smartwatches.

That is the place it will get messy, and the place some are elevating their brows at Strava. Some say Strava would not have a lot floor to face on as a result of Garmin really had warmth maps and recognition routing first. Actually, Garmin Join had warmth maps as early as 2013, which was nicely earlier than Strava filed its patent in 2014. Whether or not Strava ought to’ve even been granted that patent within the first place is up for debate, and it is probably this a part of the lawsuit will not maintain up in court docket.

What it means for you

Strava’s ultimatum

Proper now, the battleground would not look particularly stable beneath Strava’s ft — however that hasn’t stopped it from firing again. Strava is in search of damages and a everlasting injunction, which might bar Garmin from promoting any wearables that embody segments or warmth map options.

Pending a decision or settlement, Garmin customers haven’t got to fret about any disruptions to their units or the options’ availability. All present units (like Edge bike computer systems or Forerunner, Fenix, and Epix watches) will stay operational and keep synced. Garmin is the authorized heavyweight right here, but when Strava wins the case down the highway, the health titan could also be pressured to take away or considerably alter the segments and heatmap options on their units (normally performed by way of software program replace). It is that, or stop promoting almost all their hottest units.

The participant taking the largest threat right here is Strava. The social-forward health app wants Garmin, as its customers make up a considerable supply of Strava’s earnings. If Garmin retaliates by turning off the API, Strava will lose an enormous chunk of its customers. Strava would not maintain essentially the most energy — it simply so occurs to be the property proprietor that stood up and proclaimed, “not on my garden.”

Regardless, authorized disputes like these can take months (and even years) to resolve, so maintain onto your wearables and Kudos — they’re the mortals dwelling in peace whereas the titans combat above. For now, a minimum of.