The US International Trade Commission has determined that Chinese camera company Insta360 has infringed at least some of GoPro’s patents. According to a press release from GOPRO, the decision specifically found that “Insta360 violated federal law by importing and selling U.S. products that infringe on GoPro’s intellectual property rights in the United States.”
GoPro is particularly “happy” ITC judges found that Insta360 infringed GoPro’s signature hero camera design patent, and they validated multiple patent claims related to the company’s HypersMooth video stabilization feature. The company released the latest version of its flagship action camera, GoPro Hero 13, in September 2024.
When asked to comment on the ITC determination notice, Insta360 did not portray the ruling as a clear GoPro victory. If anything, the company’s statement tries to make the situation look the opposite. Insta360’s press release said ITC “rejected GoPro’s claim for practical patents for Insta360.” According to the company, the judge determined that the utility patent “is invalidated patents related to stability, horizon upgrades, distortions and aspect ratio conversions, rather than infringement or both.”
“The initial determination of the U.S. International Trade Commission is acknowledging what many people in our industry already know: the future belongs to innovators, not litigants,” said Insta360 CEO JK Liu in a company’s press release. “Although Gopro tried to stop competition by asserting various patents, he found that most claims are not claims that infringement or rule is invalid. This shows a lot.”
ITC initially began investigating Insta360 based on GoPro’s recommendations Reuters Report. The company specifically seeks to ban the “exclusion and stop and stop orders” of banning the import of Insta360 products in the United States. Even if ITC has found a way for Insta360 to infringe GoPro patents, the initial decision did not stop the company from importing and selling its cameras. You can still buy Insta360 products in the United States.
According to GoPro data, ITC is expected to make a final decision on November 10, 2025. If the company seems defensive, that’s good reason. Even if GoPro is still the most well-known name in action cameras, the Insta360 offers a bigger product, and in some cases the choice of product is more attractive. If GoPro doesn’t allow it to sell its products in the United States, it will be easier for GoPro.
