A recent judicial conflict has led to Viture’s augmented reality (AR) glasses being taken down from Amazon in nine countries within the European Union. The dispute revolves around a patent contention with Xreal, a rival in the AR sector. A German court determined that Viture’s AR equipment violated Xreal’s optics patent, resulting in a sales halt in Germany and impacting Viture’s EU distributor, Eden Future. This legal order has prohibited the sales, imports, and promotion of Viture’s offerings, which include the Viture Pro, Luma, and Luma Pro, throughout Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Poland, the Netherlands, Ireland, Sweden, and Belgium.
The Munich 1st Regional Court granted a preliminary injunction connected to European Patent EP3754409B1, which is owned by Xreal and pertains to an augmented reality device and its optical system. The court concluded that Viture’s optical display stack was nearly identical to Xreal’s patented solution, resulting in the prohibition of sales. This case sets a pivotal legal precedent within the XR sector, emphasizing the significance of patent ownership and safeguarding in the competitive AR landscape.
Xreal possesses over 800 patents globally, with a substantial number in both Europe and the US, while Viture has less than 60 patents worldwide. Viture has voiced strong opposition to the decision, claiming that the contested patent is recently granted and should be rendered invalid by a preceding patent. The firm asserts that the injunction is provisional and maintains that its products are still available throughout Europe. Viture has also commenced legal proceedings in China against Xreal for what it labels as misleading rumors.
The result of this legal struggle highlights the essential role of intellectual property in the technology sector and the possible repercussions of patent disagreements on market dynamics and product accessibility.
