Insta360 Infringed on GoPro HERO Camera Design Patent, Says ITC Judge
The International Trade Commission has issued an Initial Determination regarding patent infringements brought against the Chinese-based Insta360 by GoPro. Here’s what we know so far.
Jul 14, 2025
According to a press release sent out by GoPro, the United States Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) of the International Trade Commission (ITC) has issued an Initial Determination finding that the Chinese-based Insta360 company has violated federal law by importing and selling in the United States products that infringe on GoPro’s intellectual property.
The determination focuses on GoPro’s HERO camera design, the flagship action camera for the company, whose name is synonymous with the popular compact box-style of rough-and-tumble action cameras. The determination further appears to validate multiple patent claims covering GoPro’s HyperSmooth video stabilization.
Here’s everything we know so far about this news.
ITC Determines Infringement of GoPro's HERO Camera Design
Credit: GoPro
In what appears to be a long and perhaps ongoing ruling and process, GoPro has shared that the ALJ of the ITC in Washington, D.C., has issued an Initial Determination regarding patent infringements against Insta360.
The action camera market has been a hotly contested space for several years now, as Insta360 has pushed into an arena dominated by GoPro over the past decade. This initial determination appears to be the first step in what might be a longer process that could have major ramifications in the action cam space.
GoPro further shares that the company intends to brief other outstanding issues in its infringement case against Insta360 with the full Commission.
What Comes Next?
Again, according to GoPro, the litigation process is still ongoing but appears to have certainly strengthened the company’s intellectual property portfolio and further underscores GoPro's innovations as the company reports that it has more than 1,500 US patents currently.
"GoPro welcomes fair competition as it drives us to innovate, but we will litigate to protect our IP when we believe it is being infringed. We have been an American innovator and market leader for twenty-three years, and we will not sit idle while we believe others unjustly take advantage of our hard work, investment and innovation." — Nicholas Woodman, GoPro's founder and CEO.
The ITC is expected to issue its Final Determination on all of GoPro's infringement claims against Insta360 by November 10, 2025. We’ll continue to monitor this story and share more updates as they come.
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