Garmin vs. Strava: Inside the High-Stakes Fitness Tracking Lawsuit Shaking the Wearable Tech Industry

Intro Strava has launched a high-stakes patent-infringement lawsuit against longtime partner Garmin, asking a California federal court for damages and a permanent injunction that could halt sales of many Garmin watches and cycling computers. The complaint, filed 1 October 2025, alleges that Garmin copied Strava’s protected technology for “Segments” and crowd-sourced “heatmaps,” then expanded those features beyond the scope of a 2015 Master Cooperation Agreement. What Strava Is Suing Over • U.S. Patent 9,116,922 covers the creation, matching and ranking of user-generated Segments—virtual course sections with leaderboards. • U.S. Patent 9,297,651 (and related 9,778,053) describes generating recommended routes from aggregated activity heatmaps. Strava argues that Garmin devices using Trendline/Popularity Routing, Courses, and in-house Garmin Segments infringe these patents and violate the 2015 agreement that let Garmin display Strava Live Segments on its units. Why the Lawsuit Dropped Now According to a Reddit post by Strava’s Chief Product Officer, negotiations soured after Garmin published new API brand guidelines on 1 July 2025 that require prominent attribution—“Garmin [device model]”—whenever third-party platforms display data sourced from Garmin devices. Strava calls the rule “blatant advertising” and claims it degrades user experience. After months of talks failed, Strava filed suit and publicly framed the move as defending its intellectual property and its users’ data rights. Garmin’s Position Garmin has declined detailed comment, stating only that it “does not comment on pending litigation.” Industry analysts expect Garmin to counter-attack by challenging the validity of Strava’s patents and possibly filing its own infringement claims. Garmin’s legal arsenal is deep—its patent portfolio numbers in the thousands—and the company has a strong track record of getting software patents invalidated. What’s at Stake for Athletes • Device functionality: Strava wants an injunction that would force Garmin to disable Segments and heatmap-based routing on existing devices and stop selling affected models. • Data sync: Strava says it “does not intend to disrupt” Garmin uploads, but Garmin could cut off its API in retaliation, instantly severing auto-sync for millions of athletes. • Subscriptions: Strava’s suit risks alienating a core paying audience that relies on Garmin hardware for 24/7 data capture. Market and IPO Implications The filing lands as Strava is reported to be preparing an IPO for 2026. Legal uncertainty could weigh on investor appetite, yet a win—or a cross-licensing settlement—would let Strava tout a stronger IP moat. Conversely, if Garmin invalidates the patents, Strava could lose leverage and face questions about its long-term competitive edge. What Happens Next • Garmin must file its answer or a motion to dismiss within weeks. Expect it to petition the U.S. Patent Trial and Appeal Board for inter-partes review of Strava’s patents. • The court may schedule a Markman hearing in 2026 to interpret key patent terms—a pivotal moment that could make or break Strava’s case. • Settlement remains possible; both firms risk consumer backlash if key features suddenly stop working. Tips for Users Right Now 1. Keep devices and apps updated—any firmware change could affect Segments or routing. 2. Export important .FIT files to cloud storage as a redundancy. 3. Follow official support pages for outage alerts. 4. Consider alternative route-planning tools (e.g., Komoot, RideWithGPS) in case of service disruption. Bottom Line Strava vs. Garmin is more than a patent squabble; it’s a power struggle over data ownership, branding and subscription revenue in the crowded fitness-tech ecosystem. Athletes should brace for turbulence, but the odds still favor an out-of-court truce that preserves key features—after all, both companies ultimately depend on keeping the same users happy.