U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-FL) led six of his Republican colleagues in urging the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) to enforce intellectual property rights by upholding a ruling by the International Trade Commission (ITC) that protects patented health-monitoring ring technology from foreign infringement.
“Foreign adversaries and competitors should not be allowed to mislead regulators or compromise the biometric data of American citizens,” Rep. Buchanan said. “Congress must stand firm in protecting the health and security of the American people.”
The ITC recently affirmed that certain Chinese and Indian companies unlawfully imported and sold smart wearable devices that infringed on U.S. patents held by Oura, which sells a smart wearable ring that can provide users with health information.
The ITC issued a Limited Exclusion Order and accompanying Cease-and-Desist Orders to block the continued importation and sale of the infringing products, and the case is now being reviewed by the USTR for enforcement.
“Oura was the first to bring its innovative smart ring technology to the American market and has invested significantly in research, development, and manufacturing here in the United States,” said Rep. Buchanan. “Protecting this progress is not only vital to upholding U.S. patent policy, but also to safeguarding the privacy of patient health information.”
The congressman reiterated that stance in a Sept. 26 letter sent to USTR Jamieson Greer that underscores the need to safeguard U.S. intellectual property, protect sensitive health data, and strengthen domestic supply chains. Among the members who joined Rep. Buchanan in signing the letter was U.S. Rep. Troy Balderson (R-OH).
The members note that Oura has invested heavily in U.S. R&D and plans to expand manufacturing in Texas, and they warned of the risks posed by foreign firms collecting biometric data under weaker privacy protections.
“Robust enforcement of intellectual property rights is indispensable to American innovation, competitiveness, and national security — considerations that the ITC weighed carefully when making its decision and are squarely within USTR’s public interest mandate during presidential review,” wrote Rep. Buchanan and his colleagues. “Upholding the commission’s ruling will send a clear signal that the United States protects innovators, defends the rule of law, and prioritizes the health, privacy, and economic security of the American people.”