(Update) Patentstreit DJI vs Insta360: Drohnen-Gigant verklagt Konkurrenten wegen Patentklau ↺
Die Rivalität zwischen den beiden chinesischen Kamera- und Drohnenherstellern erreicht eine neue Stufe. DJI hat vor dem Mittleren Volksgericht in Shenzhen offiziell Klage gegen Insta360 und deren Muttergesellschaft Arashi Vision eingereicht. Der Vorwurf wiegt schwer: Insta360 soll sechs zentrale DJI-Patente aus den Bereichen Flugsteuerung, Bildverarbeitung und Hardware-Design unrechtmäßig nutzen. Inzwischen hat uns hierzu eine offizielle Stellungnahme zum Patentstreit Insta360 vs. DJI erreicht, die wir ganz am Ende der News als Update zur News angehängt haben.
Im Zentrum des Rechtsstreits stehen ehemalige DJI-Mitarbeiter. Diese wechselten zu Insta360 und meldeten dort innerhalb eines Jahres neue Patente an. Nach chinesischem Recht fallen Erfindungen, die innerhalb von zwölf Monaten nach dem Verlassen eines Unternehmens gemacht werden und im engen Zusammenhang mit der vorherigen Tätigkeit stehen, an den Ex-Arbeitgeber. DJI fordert nun die offizielle Übertragung dieser Patentrechte.
Insta360-Chef Liu Jingkang aka JK Liu blockt die Vorwürfe über den Kurznachrichtendienst Weibo hart ab. Eigene Untersuchungen seines Unternehmens liefern laut seiner Aussage ein klares Bild. Jede einzelne der genannten Ideen sei direkt im eigenen Haus entstanden. Wenn sein Unternehmen bei neuen Patenten in China die echten Erfinder zunächst anonym hält, passiere das nicht aus schlechtem Gewissen. Man schütze die eigenen Entwickler schlicht vor aggressiven Headhuntern der Konkurrenz. Außerdem schimmeln die kritisierten Patente laut Liu ohnehin seit rund fünf Jahren ungenutzt in der Schublade. Eine monierte Sturzflug-Automatik für Drohnen schaffte es wegen strenger Fluggesetze beispielsweise nie in ein fertiges Produkt.
Statt sich nur zu verteidigen, teilt JK Liu direkt gegen den Rivalen aus. Der Marktführer kopiere selbst gnadenlos Bauteile und Software-Funktionen. Interne Zählungen von Insta360 belasten DJI schwer: Aktuelle Kameras wie die Osmo 360 verletzen demnach potenziell 28 eigene Patente. Ein juristisches Gegengeschütz baut Liu trotzdem nicht auf. Sein vergleichsweise kleines Unternehmen pumpt das verfügbare Budget lieber in neue Technologien, anstatt teure Anwälte zu bezahlen. Dass er solche Schlachten durchaus gewinnen kann, bewies er erst kürzlich im US-Markt. Dort schmetterte die US-Handelskommission ITC sämtliche Patentklagen von GoPro gegen Insta360 restlos ab.
Das Timing für diesen Gerichtstermin ist reines Kalkül. Beide Tech-Riesen wildern längst im Revier des anderen. DJI attackiert mit Modellen wie der Osmo 360 das lukrative Geschäft mit 360-Grad-Kameras. Im Gegenzug sägt Insta360 am Thron des Drohnen-Königs. Deren Tochtermarke Antigravity warf Ende 2025 mit der A1 die erste echte 360-Grad-Drohne auf den Markt. Das setzte DJI massiv unter Zugzwang. Die Antwort folgt am morgigen Donnerstag in Form der neuen Avata 360. Dieser offene Hardware-Krieg hinterlässt inzwischen Spuren auf dem Parkett. Nach dem Bekanntwerden der Klageschrift knickte die Aktie der Insta360-Mutter Arashi Vision sofort um fast sieben Prozent ein.
[Update 26.03.2026, 13:15 Uhr]
Wir haben von Insta360 eine offizielle Stellungnahme zum laufenden Patentstreit mit DJI erhalten. Das Unternehmen weist die Vorwürfe von DJI entschieden zurück und betont, dass die eigenen Produkte und Technologien das Ergebnis jahrelanger, eigenständiger Entwicklungsarbeit seien. Da es sich um ein schwebendes Verfahren handelt, bei dem noch keine abschließende Entscheidung getroffen wurde, bittet der Hersteller um Verständnis, dass man aktuell nicht auf alle Details eingehen könne. Als Beleg für die eigene Innovationskraft verweist Insta360 zudem auf einen kürzlich errungenen, vollständigen Sieg in einem Patentverfahren vor der US International Trade Commission (ITC) gegen GoPro.
Nachfolgend veröffentlichen wir das ausführliche Statement von Insta360-Gründer JK Liu zu den Vorwürfen von DJI sowie die offizielle Pressemitteilung zum gewonnenen ITC-Verfahren im englischen Originalwortlaut:
Response from Insta360 founder JK Liu regarding DJI's lawsuit:
"Basically, this is about a few former DJI employees who joined Insta360 and applied for patents during their time with us. DJI claims ownership of these patents. I would like to clarify the following:
DJI claims that any patents generated by employees within one year of leaving DJI should belong to DJI. We carefully reviewed the patents applied for by these employees during that period. The evidence shows that all ideas and innovations were independently created at Insta360. Regarding the area of most interest—flight control—the only potentially relevant patent is one that lets users achieve an FPV-style "building dive" with one button press. This was my idea, and I was deeply involved in refining and approving it. Under current flight restrictions, this patent isn't very useful, so the feature wasn't implemented. If DJI wanted this patent, they could've just asked for it.
Regarding the "hiding inventors to avoid accusations" claim: many of our domestic patents initially hide the inventors, who are disclosed during the PCT filing phase. This is to respect inventors while delaying the exposure of our employee roster to headhunters, which is why this system exists in the first place. Many of our patent applications also hide inventors who are not former DJI employees. If our motive were as DJI claims, we wouldn't have used these names at all.
Most of the drone-related patent applications involved in this matter were filed 4+ years ago. Since then, our product roadmap has changed significantly, and many patents have never been used.
We understand why GoPro and DJI sued us—established players hate losing market share. At the same time, many functions and accessories from DJI's 360 camera and action cameras have been called out in the media as "copied" or "strikingly similar" to Insta360's. Last year, our team found that DJI's products could fall within the scope of 28 Insta360 patents—11 of our hardware/structure patents, 8 software-method patents, 6 control-method patents, and 3 accessory patents. But we didn't sue them. Here's why: As a smaller company with limited resources, we prioritize innovation over litigation, expanding our markets through differentiation and providing consumers with more choices. Over the past year, while the major players engaged in price wars, we continued innovating. The market grew over 80%, new players took market share, but overall sales increased. Insta360's Q4 of 2025 saw our fastest growth and highest revenue in years. Of course, if someone wants to bring a legal battle to our front door, we'll do what it takes to fight for what's right. We spent over $10 million to win the GoPro case, and we're approaching this situation with the same mindset.
So, when would we actually go nuclear with our patents? Only if we're blocked from launching new products or innovating in a category. For example, if we're not allowed to make drones anymore.
As for DJI suing Insta360, let's wait for the court's evidence collection and investigation procedures to play out. This kind of thing is common in tech. In the meantime, we're focused on launching 7 or 8 new products and series this year, including gimbal cameras, lavalier microphones, and another drone. Stay tuned.
The bottom line is we respect intellectual property, but we also respect facts, legal procedures, and rulings. We are not afraid of patent lawsuits. We refuse to fight over the same pie; we prefer to expand the market through continuous innovation and earn our place. Litigation is only used as a last resort."
Original Post: https://weibo.com/2955878834/5279669804864445
Insta360 Secures Complete Victory in ITC Final Ruling
U.S. International Trade Commission rejects GoPro's patent infringement claims, affirming Insta360's independent innovation.
LOS ANGELES, Feb. 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Insta360, trading as Arashi Vision Inc. (688775.SS), secured a complete victory in Investigation No. 337-TA-1400 as the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) issued a final determination in favor of the innovative 360 camera company.
The Commission cleared Insta360 with respect to five utility patents relating to stabilization, horizon leveling, distortion correction, and aspect ratio conversion, confirming that the patents were invalid, not infringed, or both. The Commission also reversed the Administrative Law Judge (ALJ)'s prior finding of infringement as to the '052 patent relating to distortion and found additional non-infringement as to the '840 patent relating to stabilization.
In addition, the ALJ's determination that Insta360's updated product designs fall outside the scope of GoPro's asserted design patent stands and is now final.
As a result of the Commission's ruling, Insta360 will continue to import and sell its existing product lineup in the United States without restriction.
"The ITC's decision reaffirms what the industry has long recognized: Insta360's technology is built on true innovation. The facts spoke for themselves," said JK Liu, Founder of Insta360. "True innovators compete by building better tools. The ITC's decision allows us to continue doing what we do best: empowering users with bold, boundary-pushing technology."
"The future of this industry should be shaped by better products, not legal tactics that protect market share at the expense of consumers. Too often, successful companies are targeted by patent litigation from competitors looking to reclaim lost ground. What the industry needs is an environment where the best ideas prevail, not legal maneuvering. Only when innovation can compete freely will the entire ecosystem move forward."
The ITC's final determination is a total rebuke of Insta360's competitors' efforts to use meritless patent assertions to improperly block lawful competition. The evidentiary record developed during the investigation demonstrated that Insta360 independently developed its technology and that GoPro's allegations lacked merit. The Commission's final determination represents a complete resolution of the investigation in Insta360's favor.
Originalmeldung: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/insta360-secures-complete-victory-in-itc-final-ruling-302699307.html
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