Court rules Fitbit didn’t steal Jawbone trade secrets

Fitness device maker Fitbit didn’t steal any trade secrets from competitor Jawbone, according to a U.S. International Trade Commission court ruling.

The judge’s decision Tuesday likely eliminates the possibility of an import ban on Fitbit devices, according to a Reuters report. But the court ruling is subject to review by the full commission body, a Bloomberg report notes.

Jawbone is confident its claims will be upheld in the review.

“Jawbone is confident it will prevail when the full scope of its claims is heard by the jury,” the vendor said in a statement, according to the Bloomberg report.

The allegations were initially filed by Jawbone just over a year ago, as FierceMobileHealthcare reported. Last month Jawbone won a separate trade case brought by Fitbit, notes Reuters, regarding potential patent infringement. The two wearables vendors are still battling in a California court regarding trade secret violations.

“From the outset of this litigation, we have maintained that Jawbone’s allegations were utterly without merit and nothing more than a desperate attempt by Jawbone to disrupt Fitbit’s momentum to compensate for their own lack of success in the market,” Fitbit Co-Founder and CEO James Park said in a statement.

The commission’s final decision is due in December and if an import ban is recommended it would then fall under White House administration review, according to Bloomberg.

 

Fitbit is one of the top wearables fitness tracker leader but is facing increasing competition due to consumer adoption of such tools. The wearable market is projected to hit $30 billion this year, with more than $11 billion being driven by smartwatches and fitness trackers.

For more information:
- read the Reuters report
- here's the Bloomberg report

- check out Park's statement