DJI picked quite a day to sue. Just as Insta360 was celebrating the launch of its highly anticipated Luna Ultra camera — a Leica-powered 8K handheld gimbal camera aimed squarely at creators — DJI filed not one, but two patent infringement lawsuits accusing its fast-growing rival of copying technologies behind the Osmo Pocket lineup.
Insta360 didn’t wait around to mount a defense. Within 24 hours, the company fired back with two lawsuits of its own, accusing DJI of infringing patents tied to camera stabilization, gimbal control, location-based imaging systems, and even the technology behind DJI’s newly launched Osmo 360 camera.
What began as a product launch has suddenly become one of the biggest legal battles the creator-tech industry has ever seen. And unlike many patent disputes that unfold quietly behind the scenes, both companies appear eager to fight this one in public.
DJI: Luna Ultra isn’t just competing, it’s copying
At the center of the dispute is Luna Ultra, Insta360’s new flagship handheld camera that combines a 1-inch sensor, Leica optics, a detachable touchscreen, AI tracking, three-axis stabilization, and 8K video recording.
If that sounds like a direct challenge to DJI’s wildly successful Osmo Pocket lineup, that’s because it is. According to DJI’s lawsuits, however, Luna Ultra crosses the line from competition into infringement.
The company alleges that Insta360’s Luna lineup infringes both design patents and utility patents connected to DJI’s Osmo Pocket family. DJI’s complaints focus on technologies related to subject tracking, camera orientation, gimbal control, stabilization behavior, and camera-lock functions. DJI also argues that aspects of Luna Ultra’s physical design resemble protected Osmo Pocket designs.
The lawsuits repeatedly emphasize DJI’s role in creating the pocket gimbal camera category.
DJI points to the launch of the original Osmo Pocket in 2018 and subsequent products such as the new Osmo Pocket 4 as evidence that it spent years developing and refining the category before competitors arrived. The filings effectively argue that key features consumers now associate with handheld gimbal cameras originated with DJI.
For DJI, this isn’t merely about one camera. It’s about defending what it believes are foundational inventions behind an entire product category.
Insta360’s response was immediate, and aggressive
If DJI expected a traditional corporate response, it didn’t get one. Instead, Insta360 launched a full-scale legal counteroffensive.
One complaint targets DJI’s recently launched Osmo 360 camera, alleging infringement of patents covering panoramic imaging and video stabilization technologies. Insta360 argues that DJI’s expansion into the 360-camera market relies on inventions that helped establish Insta360 as the category leader.
A second lawsuit takes aim at DJI’s broader ecosystem, including Osmo-branded products and Ronin stabilization systems, alleging infringement of patents covering gimbal stabilization, camera orientation control, and location-based imaging technologies.
But perhaps the most explosive allegation appears deeper in Insta360’s filings. According to the company, DJI was already aware of at least two of the patents now at the center of the dispute because DJI itself cited them during the prosecution of its own patent applications years ago. Insta360 points to patent filings related to stabilization platforms, remote control methods, and vibration-reduction technologies in which DJI referenced the patents now being asserted against it.
Insta360 further alleges that it approached DJI before filing suit, offering an opportunity to license the patents on commercial terms. According to the complaint, DJI declined. That allegation could become important later if the litigation reaches questions of willful infringement and damages.
Insta360 founder: The timing speaks for itself
The company isn’t being subtle about what it thinks happened. “At Insta360, we prefer to let our products do the talking. But we are not afraid of a legal battle when challenged,” said JK Liu, founder of Insta360. “We are fully committed to protecting our innovations and will take decisive action to defend our intellectual property from infringement.”
Liu also pushed back against any suggestion that Luna Ultra was inspired by DJI’s products. “Luna Ultra is the result of years of independent R&D, not a response to any competitor’s product,” he said. “Development began in 2020, with earlier Insta360 products including the ONE R, Link Series webcams, and Flow Series gimbals helping shape the technology and design direction behind Luna Ultra.”
Then came the line likely to generate the most discussion among creators: “DJI filing lawsuits on the same day we launched Luna Ultra speaks volumes, exposing their fear of competition from a highly competitive product.”
Whether readers agree with that characterization or not, the timing is difficult to ignore. The biggest launch in Insta360’s recent history was instantly overshadowed by a courtroom battle.
Why this fight feels different
Patent disputes are common in consumer electronics. What’s unusual is who’s involved.
Five years ago, DJI and Insta360 barely overlapped. DJI was the dominant drone company that also sold stabilization systems. Insta360 was the company behind some of the world’s most popular 360 cameras. Today, they’re running directly toward each other.
DJI has expanded into action cameras, wireless microphones, handheld cameras, creator accessories, and most recently 360 cameras through the Osmo 360. Insta360 has expanded from 360 cameras into action cameras, creator software, wearable cameras, AI-powered imaging tools, and now premium handheld gimbal cameras through Luna Ultra. The company has even incubated Antigravity, a drone brand whose first product is an 8K 360 drone.
In other words, DJI is moving toward Insta360’s territory, while Insta360 is moving toward DJI’s. The lawsuits may have been triggered by patents, but the underlying reality is that the two companies are increasingly fighting for the same customers.
The American angle
The legal battle arrives at a particularly interesting moment in the US market. DJI remains the world’s dominant drone manufacturer and one of the most influential creator-tech companies on the planet. Yet in the United States, the company continues to face political scrutiny, customs-related challenges, and ongoing debate surrounding its inclusion on the FCC’s Covered List.
Meanwhile, Insta360 has spent the past several years aggressively expanding across America. Its products are now sold through major retailers including Best Buy, Costco, Amazon, Apple Stores, and B&H Photo. The company has broadened its portfolio, deepened its Leica partnership, and increasingly positioned itself as an alternative to both GoPro and DJI.
The Luna Ultra launch represented perhaps the clearest sign yet of those ambitions. And now, almost immediately, it has become the center of a four-lawsuit patent war.
The courts will ultimately decide which claims hold up. But one thing is already clear. The battle between DJI and Insta360 is no longer about drones versus 360 cameras. It’s about who gets to become the default ecosystem for creators. And judging by the legal firepower now being deployed, neither company plans to surrender that future without a fight.
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