Wahoo and Zwift have both come to a settlement agreement over the former’s legal action against Zwift for alleged patent infringement over its Hub stationary trainer.
According to a report from Bicycle Retailer and Industry News, a court filing in the US last Thursday showed that both sides of the dispute are asking the court to dismiss Wahoo’s patent infringement lawsuit and any subsequent counterclaims.
Both sides have also reportedly agreed to pay their own legal fees.
Last Autumn, Wahoo initially sued both Zwift and JetBlack and alleged that Zwift’s new Hub trainer - which is manufactured by JetBlack - is ‘identical, in all material respects, to the KICKR CORE’.
As well as manufacturing Zwift’s Hub Trainer, JetBlack also manufactures another similar model - the Volt - under its own name.
Wahoo swiftly settled with JetBlack, with the Australian company agreeing not to sell the Volt in the United States or in Europe. JetBlack will however continue to sell its own version of the Hub in Australia.
The action against Zwift, however, continued, with a trial provisionally scheduled for 2025.
When the lawsuit was initially filed in the US District Court of Delaware last October, Wahoo later released a statement detailing its reasons for pursuing action against the two companies.
Wahoo said: “Allowing copycat products in the market, stagnates product innovation and pressures product quality, which is bad for the cycling community.”
However despite the legal action, the company sought to emphasise that it “values Zwift as a partner” and that it hoped to "continue to work together to serve our joint consumers and grow the indoor cycling business".
Wahoo has rapidly become one of the dominant companies producing indoor cycling smart turbo trainers as well as other cycling related accessories such as its hugely popular Elemnt Bolt and Roam GPS computers.
Alongside Wahoo’s huge success, Zwift has also risen to become the go-to indoor cycling platform for many. The companies have worked together before - Wahoo's KICKR, for example, was the official smart trainer used for February's 2023 UCI Cycling Esports World Championships, hosted on Zwift.
However, Zwift’s entry into the market with its own smart trainer led to a new chapter in their relationship.
Both Wahoo and Zwift have been contacted for comment by Cycling Weekly in relation to this story.
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