Wahoo to sue Zwift and JetBlack over patent claim

Wahoo Fitness has brought a case against both Zwift and JetBlack, alleging that infringements have been made on a trio of patents attached to its stationary training equipment.

Filed at the start of October, the complaints against both parties landed with the U.S. District Court in Delaware and a jury trial is sought to bring about a preliminary injunction against both Zwift and JetBlack, preventing the sale of the trainer products in the USA.

For added context, JetBlack Cycling Pty Ltd is the manufacturer to Zwift’s Hub trainer, recently launched with plenty of fanfare thanks to the $499 price point. Added to that, JetBlack has a similar model, likewise at an accessible price, sold under the Volt banner.

These are the models that Wahoo has taken up issue with, making claim that the JetBlack Volt and Zwift Hub are “identical, in all material respects, to the KICKR CORE, one of Wahoo’s innovative bicycle trainers.

Wahoo adds in the filing “By copying the KICKR CORE, Zwift has infringed three of Wahoo’s patents. By marketing a copy of Wahoo’s patent-protected device, Zwift has taken a shortcut that allows it to reap the benefit of Wahoo’s innovations, but without investing the time and money necessary to create Wahoo’s innovations. As a result, Wahoo is forced to file this action to stop Zwift’s infringement and to ensure Wahoo’s ability to continue its strong history of innovation.”

The trio of patents related to the allegation of infringement are: Patent/Trademark Number(s) 10,046,222 B2 ;10,933,290 B2 ;11,090,542 B2.

Within the court filing Wahoo also takes some issue with the nature of Zwift’s route to market, stating that the direct sales approach is harming the bicycle industry as a whole.

“The selling of a copy of Wahoo’s product only direct to consumers, thereby eliminating the retail channels, hurts the overall health of the cycling industry,” writes the court document, which you can read in full here. 

A summons has now been issued to Zwift.

Wahoo recently updated its Kickr trainers and Kickr bike V2, enhancing its training ecosystem. Read more about the products here.