The world may be watching geopolitical tensions rise, but in the world of drone technology, a different kind of war is breaking out. Following DJI’s lawsuit over disputed drone patents, Insta360’s founder has come out swinging — and his response makes one thing clear: this fight is about far more than six patents.
In a detailed statement on Chinese social media platform Weibo, Insta360 founder JK Liu is pushing back strongly against DJI’s claims, framing the lawsuit as part of a broader pattern where established players turn to legal pressure when competition heats up.
“Basically, this is about a few former DJI employees who joined Insta360 and applied for patents during their time with us,” Liu says. “DJI claims ownership of these patents. We carefully reviewed them, and the evidence shows all ideas and innovations were independently created at Insta360.”
That directly challenges the core of DJI’s case. The drone giant argues that the patents qualify as “service inventions” under Chinese law — meaning anything developed within a year of an employee leaving DJI, and related to their prior work, belongs to DJI. But Liu is rejecting that premise outright, insisting the work in question was conceived and developed entirely within Insta360.
And he doesn’t stop there.
‘If DJI wanted it, they could’ve just asked’
One of the most interesting parts of Liu’s response centers on the actual substance of the patents — something DJI has only broadly described so far.
According to Liu, the most relevant patent tied to drone flight control is surprisingly narrow: a feature that enables an FPV-style “building dive” with a single button press. And notably, he claims the idea didn’t even originate with former DJI engineers.
“This was my idea,” Liu says, adding that he was “deeply involved in refining and approving it.” He also downplays its importance, noting that due to current flight restrictions, the feature hasn’t even been implemented in products.
Then comes a line that underscores his broader stance: “If DJI wanted this patent, they could’ve just asked for it.”
It’s a striking comment… one that reframes the dispute from a high-stakes IP battle to, at least in Liu’s telling, something far less consequential from a technical standpoint.
DJI’s lawsuit also points to what it describes as suspicious behavior in patent filings… specifically, inventors listed as “anonymous” in Chinese applications but revealed in international filings. Liu addresses that directly.
He explains that this is a standard internal practice, not an attempt to conceal anything. Insta360, he says, often withholds inventor names in early domestic filings to protect employees from being targeted by recruiters, only disclosing them later in required international filings.
Crucially, he adds that this approach is used across the board, not just for employees who previously worked at DJI. “If our motive were as DJI claims,” Liu says, “we wouldn’t have used these names at all.”
‘Established players hate losing market share’
Another key point in Liu’s response: timing. He reveals that most of the drone-related patents at the center of the dispute were filed more than four years ago, and many are no longer relevant to Insta360’s current product direction. Since then, the company’s roadmap has evolved significantly, particularly as it expands from 360 cameras into drones and other hardware categories.
That raises an important question: if these patents aren’t even central to Insta360’s current products, why pursue them legally now? Liu’s answer points back to competition.
Liu doesn’t name DJI directly in this context, but the implication is clear. “We understand why GoPro and DJI sued us — established players hate losing market share,” he says.
That comparison to GoPro isn’t accidental. Just last month, Insta360 secured a complete victory in a major patent dispute at the US International Trade Commission (ITC), where GoPro had accused the company of infringing multiple patents related to stabilization, distortion correction, and other core imaging technologies. The ITC ultimately ruled in Insta360’s favor across the board, invalidating or rejecting the claims and allowing the company to continue selling its products in the US without restriction.
For Liu, that case is proof of a larger pattern. “The ITC’s decision reaffirms what the industry has long recognized: Insta360’s technology is built on true innovation,” he said at the time. “True innovators compete by building better tools.”
A company spokesperson echoes that sentiment more bluntly, saying efforts by early industry players to use legal tactics to suppress competition are “ultimately bound to fail.”
Why hasn’t Insta360 sued DJI yet?
Perhaps the most revealing part of Liu’s statement is what Insta360 hasn’t done. According to Liu, the company has identified 28 patents that DJI products could potentially fall under — including hardware, software, control methods, and accessories. But Insta360 hasn’t taken legal action. Why?
“As a smaller company with limited resources, we prioritize innovation over litigation,” Liu explains. “We prefer to expand the market and provide consumers with more choices.”
That philosophy, he argues, has paid off. Insta360 reported its fastest growth and highest revenue in years in Q4 2025, even as larger players engaged in price wars.
Still, Liu makes it clear that this restraint has limits. “If someone brings a legal battle to our front door, we’ll do what it takes to fight,” he says, noting that Insta360 spent over $10 million defending itself in the GoPro case.
There is, however, a red line. Liu says Insta360 would only go “nuclear” with its patent portfolio if its ability to innovate or launch new products is directly threatened. “For example,” he says, “if we’re not allowed to make drones anymore.”
That’s a telling comment given the broader context. Insta360 has recently entered the drone market through its Antigravity initiative, while DJI is preparing to launch its own 360-degree drone, bringing both companies into direct competition once again.
Related: DJI challenges Insta360 with new Osmo 360 camera
What happens next?
For now, Liu is urging patience. “As for DJI suing Insta360, let’s wait for the court’s evidence collection and investigation procedures to play out,” he says. “This kind of thing is common in tech.”
In the meantime, Insta360 is pushing forward aggressively. Liu reveals that the company plans to launch seven to eight new products and series this year, including gimbal cameras, lavalier microphones, and another drone.
The message is clear: despite the legal battle, the company isn’t slowing down.
“The bottom line is we respect intellectual property,” Liu says. “But we also respect facts, legal procedures, and rulings. We are not afraid of patent lawsuits.”
And in a line that may define this entire rivalry, he adds: “We refuse to fight over the same pie. We prefer to expand the market through continuous innovation and earn our place.”
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