June 14, 2026, 07:21 United Daily News / Yang You-zhe
Camera brands DJI and Insta360 have recently become embroiled in a fierce patent infringement dispute over their popular pocket gimbal cameras. DJI was the first to accuse Insta360 of copying the design and utility patents of its Osmo Pocket series with the newly launched pocket gimbal camera, the Luna Ultra. Insta360 quickly responded with a countersuit, alleging that several of DJI’s best-selling products infringe upon its gimbal and stabilization technology patents.
DJI: Luna Ultra Is a “Copy” from Its Appearance to Its Tracking Technology
According to foreign media reports, DJI formally filed a lawsuit against Insta360 on June 11, claiming that the Luna Ultra infringes upon two design patents and four utility patents.
In its complaint, DJI argues that the Luna Ultra’s basic appearance almost entirely replicates the defining design features of the Osmo Pocket series, including the elongated handheld body, the neck structure connecting the main body to the gimbal arm, the placement of the physical control wheel and recording button, and the signature rotating display screen. DJI further alleges that Insta360 infringes upon its utility patents related to gimbal tracking technology.
As a result, DJI is seeking a permanent injunction that would prohibit Insta360 from selling the Luna Ultra in the United States. DJI is also requesting reasonable royalty compensation, disgorgement of all profits generated by the product to date, and additional punitive damages for what it characterizes as willful infringement.
Insta360 Countersues: DJI Is the Real Infringer of Stabilization Technology
In response to DJI’s aggressive legal action, Insta360 promptly filed a countersuit, claiming that DJI is actually the party infringing on patents.
According to Insta360, DJI infringes upon as many as five of its patents covering key technologies such as gimbal stabilization, gimbal orientation control, camera smoothing and stabilization, telemetry data overlay, and panoramic video stabilization. The allegations extend across a broad range of DJI products, including the Osmo Pocket series, Ronin stabilizers, Osmo Mobile smartphone gimbals, and even the Osmo 360.
In an official statement, Insta360 further asserted that the core technologies inside the Luna Ultra are entirely the result of the company’s own years of independent research and development. The company stated that the technological lineage can be clearly traced back to its Link webcam series and Flow smartphone gimbal series, and is by no means a copy of any competitor’s products.
FCC Restrictions Intensify as DJI Uses “Xtra” Brand to Compete Against Insta360
Behind this patent battle lies the very different circumstances and strategic considerations facing the two companies in the U.S. market.
In fact, DJI launched the next-generation Osmo Pocket 4 in April this year, positioning it as a direct competitor to the Luna Ultra. However, DJI’s ability to sell products in the United States has been significantly constrained. Last December, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) officially placed DJI on its Covered List, preventing the company from obtaining certification and selling new foreign-manufactured drones and cameras in the United States.
To work around these restrictions, DJI has reportedly been selling cameras in the U.S. through a new brand called Xtra, including products such as the Xtra Muse 2 Pro, whose design and specifications closely resemble those of the Osmo Pocket 4. Given this challenging market situation, if DJI succeeds in obtaining a permanent injunction against the Insta360 Luna Ultra through patent litigation, it could effectively hinder its rival’s market expansion and restore what it views as a more balanced competitive landscape in the U.S. market.
Analysis: Behind the Rivalry Lies the “Homogenization” Problem of the Pocket Gimbal Camera Market
The patent conflict between DJI and Insta360 highlights how the development of pocket-sized gimbal cameras may be approaching a physical design bottleneck.
When manufacturers must fit a three-axis mechanical gimbal, a high-quality camera lens, and a monitoring display into a device roughly the size of a lipstick tube, the most ergonomic and thermally efficient design solutions often converge on very similar forms—much like how the designs of modern thin-and-light laptops have become increasingly alike.
Although DJI’s Osmo Pocket pioneered this product category, Insta360 has been rapidly gaining ground among vloggers by leveraging its strengths in 360-degree cameras and software-based stabilization algorithms. DJI’s decision to launch legal action immediately following Insta360’s product announcement appears to carry a strong defensive and competitive motive.
Particularly at a time when DJI is facing pressure from FCC restrictions in the United States, pursuing alternatives such as the Xtra brand while simultaneously using patent litigation to impede its largest competitor’s distribution efforts can be seen as a strategy to buy time. For consumers, the lawsuit is unlikely to affect purchasing decisions in the short term. In the long run, however, if highly similar hardware designs become locked behind the patent portfolios of a small number of companies, it could hinder innovation and reduce price competition in this niche market.