Adidas Group lodged a lawsuit against Under Armour in Delaware's federal court on Feb. 4, claiming violation of ten different patents that protect its miCoach wearable technology platform and requesting reasonable royalties and treble damages. The patents cover mainly the transmission of physical workout data in real time and the ability to map a route automatically.
After its $150 million acquisition last year of MapMyFitness (MMF), a digital fitness and running platform that has more than 21 million users, Under Armour has been combining its software with its own set of Armour 39 products, which collect personal data through chest straps, watches and other devices. MMF has a team of nearly 60 engineers and developers. It added about 400,000 new users during the month of January alone.
The miCoach wrist watch tracks physical coaching data along with music through wireless headphones. It also measures the heart rate without using a chest strap. Unlike Nike, which is only working with Apple's iPhone, Under Armour and Adidas are striving to work with other communication systems.
The wearable technology market is said to be likely to grow from $1.9 billion in 2013 to $19 billion by 2018, according to Juniper Research. Besides, it could provide companies with the personal data of many users to make special offers to them when a runnin shoe wears out or in other cases, if local legislation permits it.
