Well, that didn’t last long. On Tuesday, fitness and social networking platform Strava filed paperwork in a Colorado federal court to voluntarily dismiss its patent infringement lawsuit against Garmin, just three weeks after filing it.
Strava initially sued Garmin on Sept. 30, accusing the watch and bike-computer giant of infringing on patents related to segments and heatmaps, two of Strava’s signature features from over a decade ago.
The case
According to the original filing, Strava alleged that Garmin violated a 2015 Master Cooperation Agreement, which first brought Strava’s Live Segments to Garmin devices, by studying Strava’s technology and expanding Garmin-branded segments beyond what the contract allowed. The lawsuit asked the court to halt sales of Garmin’s “offending products,” which would have included virtually all of its wearables and bike computers.
Photo: Garmin
The voluntary dismissal filing on Tuesday was short and formal, stating:
“Pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 41(a)(1)(A)(i), Plaintiff Strava, Inc., by and through its undersigned counsel, voluntarily dismisses the above-captioned action, without prejudice.”
Strava explains why they are suing GPS powerhouse Garmin
What was Strava’s motive?
While Strava didn’t provide a reason for backing off, there’s plenty of speculation in the industry. Some believe Strava’s lawsuit was a strategic move to pressure Garmin into backing off its advertising and data demands ahead of Strava’s anticipated 2026 IPO, while also signalling that Strava possesses valuable intellectual property it’s willing to defend.
Others, like fitness-tech guru DC Rainmaker, suggest Garmin simply called Strava’s bluff. By forcing the case to be voluntarily dismissed, Garmin essentially said it was ready for a long legal fight and that it could even restrict Strava access on its devices, potentially pushing users toward competitors.
Photo: Strava
Coincidentally (or not), last week, Garmin announced a new API partnership with Komoot, a rival to Strava, allowing smoother route planning and syncing for runners and cyclists. Garmin users have been able to transfer Komoot routes to their devices for years, and this new feature deepens the integration between the two, making it easier than ever to plan, connect and navigate through Komoot instead of its competitor.
While the legal chapter between the two may be closed for now, the silence from both parties suggests the fallout might be far from resolved.