![\"Strava](\"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/DSC_2440-Edit.jpg\")
<\/p>\nIt’s unclear what, if anything, Strava gained in this brief legal battle.<\/p>\n
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(Photo Josh Ross\/Velo)<\/p>\n
Updated October 22, 2025 01:09PM<\/p>\n
At the end of last month, Strava sued Garmin<\/a> over multiple alleged patent infringements. Today, Strava is backing down and withdrawing its suit.<\/p>\n For those unaware, the initial suit was focused on two main patents covering heatmaps and segments \u2014 basically the core of what built Strava into the platform it is today. According to Strava\u2019s chief product officer Matt Salazar though, the patents were actually a side event.<\/p>\n Salazar said through a Reddit post that the lawsuit regarding the patents was actually leverage for a disagreement about crediting Garmin data when used. In that post Salazar stated, \u201cAs you have seen, we\u2019ve recently taken some action against Garmin. I wanted to post on here to share some background on why we did this and the situation with Garmin.<\/p>\n On July 1st, Garmin announced new developer guidelines<\/a> for all of its API partners, including Strava, that required the Garmin logo to be present on every single activity post, screen, graph, image, sharing card etc. We have until November 1st to comply, and if not, Garmin has threatened to cut off access to their API, stopping all Garmin activities from being uploaded to Strava.\u201d Salazar went on to explain that Strava considered this \u201cblatant advertising\u201d and that Strava was trying to protect \u201cYOUR data.\u201d<\/p>\n At the time of that post, it was clear that users in the Reddit thread were not on Strava\u2019s side in this disagreement. Beyond sentiment though, the claims Salazar made about the Garmin API weren\u2019t accurate. Specifically, a Garmin logo was never required in the data attribution.<\/p>\n The Garmin API Brand Guidelines do state \u201cAll uses of Garmin device-sourced data within detailed data views, reports, settings or historical views must include a \u2018Garmin [device model]\u2019 attribution.\u201d Importantly though, Garmin goes on to state \u201cThe attribution can include the Garmin tag logo followed by the device model or simply be listed in appropriately sized text\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n It should also be noted that Strava has almost the same requirements. The Strava API Brand Guidelines state \u201cIf you choose to link back to any original Strava data sources presented in your application you must use the following text format, \u2018View on Strava.’\u201d<\/p>\n Today\u2019s news was not the first hint that Strava had changed course following the initial lawsuit. On October 11, a user posted to Reddit<\/a> showing an email Strava sent to developers. That email showed a change to the Strava API that required developers to conform to the Garmin requirements and stated \u201cActivity data obtained through the Strava API may include data that requires attribution to Garmin. Therefore, if your application displays information derived from Garmin-sourced data, you must display attribution to Garmin in the form and manner required by Garmin\u2019s brand guidelines.\u201d<\/p>\n Another 11 days and the lawsuit is done<\/p>\n![\"Strava](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/DSC_2441.jpg\"\/)
<\/a>(Photo Josh Ross\/Velo)<\/p>\n![\"Strava](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/DSC_2443.jpg\"\/)
<\/a>(Photo Josh Ross\/Velo)
\nStrava started to backtrack October 11<\/p>\n