#0 Legal Files: September 2026
This founding issue covers the court cases, rulings and regulatory actions of September 2026 involving the sports watch, ring and fitness platform companies this site covers; later issues are weekly. Each entry states who is involved, what is alleged or decided, where the matter stands and what it could mean for athletes. Allegations are reported as allegations.
Other sites push out an alert for every case and ruling as it happens. This roundup gathers the month into a single read and keeps your inbox clear. The weekly Deep Dive Digest email covers the wider sports technology news for those who want it.
Also in the Deep Dive series: Regulatory Filing, Trademark & Patent Filing, Fix Files, Feature Files and the Deep Dive Digest.
The largest development of the month was a jury verdict of about $5.7 billion against Apple over the haptic component used in the iPhone and Apple Watch, which Apple says it will appeal. Garmin, Samsung and Google were named in a second import ban complaint from UnaliWear at the US International Trade Commission, and Garmin and Samsung were each sued separately by the patent holder IOENGINE in the final full week of September.
Taction v Apple: jury awards about $5.7 billion over the Taptic Engine in iPhone and Apple Watch
A jury in a US federal court in San Diego found on Friday 25 September 2026 that Apple’s Taptic Engine, the component that produces vibration feedback in iPhones and Apple Watches, infringes two patents owned by Taction Technology, a San Diego company. The jury awarded Taction about $5.7 billion, a sum described in reports as a record for a US patent case. Reports state that the jury did not find the infringement to be intentional, which rules out an increase in damages on that ground. The case number and the patent numbers were not given in the reports read for this issue.
Taction sued Apple in 2021. The trial judge ruled for Apple in 2023, finding no infringement, and the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit revived the case in 2025. The trial is reported to have begun on 14 September 2026. Apple said that its Taptic Engine is fundamentally different from Taction’s technology and that it will appeal. The award is not final: Apple can ask the trial judge to set the verdict aside or reduce it before any appeal is heard.
The verdict concerns money and not, on the reports read, any restriction on sales, so Apple Watch owners should see no immediate change. Haptic alerts carry lap, pace, heart rate zone and navigation prompts on the Apple Watch during training. If the verdict survives the post-trial stage and appeal, the outcome could affect how Apple licenses or designs that component in later models.
Evidence: Confirmed by two reports. Source: US federal district court in San Diego, reported by Reuters, reported from around the web
US International Trade Commission: UnaliWear files a second import ban complaint naming Samsung, Google and Garmin
UnaliWear, Inc. filed a complaint with the US International Trade Commission on 21 September 2026 under section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930. The Commission’s notice of receipt, published in the Federal Register on 24 September 2026, records it as Docket No. 3937 under the title “Certain Wearable Activity and Health Monitoring Devices and Systems Containing Same”. The proposed respondents are Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., Samsung Electronics America, Inc., Google LLC, Garmin Ltd., Garmin International, Inc. and Garmin USA, Inc. UnaliWear asks for a limited exclusion order, cease and desist orders and a bond during the 60-day Presidential review period.
This is UnaliWear’s second complaint of the year at the Commission. The first, which led to an investigation opened in January 2026, named Apple, Google, Samsung and Garmin and alleges that the fall detection features of their watches infringe two US patents. Apple is not named in the new complaint. The notice does not identify the patents asserted or the watch models accused. It invites comments on the public interest, and the records read for this issue do not show a decision by the Commission on whether to open an investigation.
A limited exclusion order would bar the import into the United States of the products found to infringe, so the complaint is one that could, if it succeeds, affect which Garmin, Samsung and Google watches are sold there or which features they ship with. That outcome is some distance away: the Commission must first decide whether to investigate, and investigations of this kind commonly take more than a year. Nothing changes for existing owners at this stage.
Evidence: Confirmed in the agency record. Source: US International Trade Commission notice at federalregister.gov, reported from around the web
IOENGINE v Garmin and IOENGINE v Samsung: patent complaints filed in Florida and Texas
IOENGINE, LLC filed a patent infringement complaint against Garmin Ltd, Garmin International, Inc. and Garmin USA, Inc. in the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida on 25 September 2026, under case number 1:26-cv-26708. The docket lists the cause as patent infringement under 35 U.S.C. 271, records a jury demand and shows a complaint filed with 17 exhibits. Three days earlier, on 22 September 2026, IOENGINE is reported to have sued Samsung in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. The case number of the Samsung action was not given in the reports read.
According to the reports on the Samsung complaint, IOENGINE alleges infringement of five related US patents concerning the way a portable device connects to and works through a larger host device, and seeks damages and an injunction. The products accused are reported to include Galaxy phones, smartwatches, earbuds and portable storage drives, with the Galaxy Watch Ultra and the Galaxy Wearable app among those cited. The Garmin docket entry read for this issue does not state which patents are asserted or which Garmin products are accused, and this issue does not assume that they match the Samsung case. Both actions are at the earliest stage and neither company’s response has been filed in the records read.
The reported allegations against Samsung concern how a watch pairs with and relies on a phone, which is basic to syncing, notifications and app set-up. Cases of this type usually end in a licence or a damages award and seldom alter products, but the injunction request means a change to how affected watches connect cannot be ruled out. What the Garmin case could mean for Garmin watches or bike computers will be clear only when the complaint itself can be read.
Evidence: Garmin case: Confirmed in the court record. Samsung case: Confirmed by two reports. Source: US District Court for the Southern District of Florida docket at dockets.justia.com; US District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, reported from around the web
Browse every issue at the Legal Files hub.
Last Updated on 2 October 2026 by tfk the5krunner
Small things I always use
- Garmin 90-degree charging adapter: Charges your Garmin from any USB-C cable. Essential when travelling. I use one.
- Body Glide: The blue anti-chafe stick swimmers and runners carry. I use it.
- Speedo earplugs: Fewer ear infections and no cold-water dizziness. I use them.
- Dryrobe Advance: My winter changing robe for open-water swims. I use one. A cheaper option is the AONYIYI changing robe.
- Maurten: Race fuel that stays easy on the stomach. I use them.
- Garmin charging puck: The quickest way to top up before a session. I use one.
- Injinji: Toe socks that stop rubbing, so you run more. I use them.
- Ultimate toe protectors: Stop black toenails on long runs. They work. I use them.
- Compressport R2 v2 calf sleeves: My calf sleeves of choice. I use them.
- Cellucor C4: My pre-workout before hard sessions.
- TPU tubes: Schwalbe Aerothan, Tubolito and Pirelli SmarTube. Light, tiny spares. I use all three.
- G8 insoles: Adjustable insoles that are good. I use them.
- Cycplus Cube: A 97g electric pump that gets a road tyre rideable in two minutes. I carry one. 5% off with code THE5KRUNNER.
Watches and sensors
- Polar H10: My daily driver for waking HRV.
- Polar Verity Sense: My backup arm-worn HR sensor.
- Nomad bedside charger: Charges my iPhone and Apple Watch overnight. I use it, and many of their bands.
- Train.Red: The best muscle oxygen sensor I’ve used.
- Tymewear: Accurate heart rate and reliable ventilatory zones. I use it to pace endurance rides over an hour.
- Garmin Forerunner 970: A pro-grade triathlon watch. I use this.
- Apple Watch Ultra 4: My daily smartwatch. No phone needed on rides.
- Garmin Fenix 9 Pro: I’ve just bought one.
On the bike
- Continental GP5000 for everyday riding, and Aero 111 on the front for special occasions.
- Helmets: Specialized S-Works Evade 3 for road riding, and Rudy Project Wing for TT-style races. I use both.
- Ravemen FR300: A front light that mounts under your Garmin or Wahoo. I use one.
- Wahoo TRACKR Radar: I use it on one bike and Varia on the other. They perform the same.
- Garmin Varia RTL515: Radar that warns you of cars from behind. I use this model.
- Wahoo ELEMNT Roam 3: The bike computer that’s easy to use. I use mine on most rides.
- Favero Assioma Pro RS2: Accurate power pedals that swap easily between bikes. I use this model.
Home and indoor training
- NPE Runn: Makes my basic treadmill smart, sending more accurate speed and distance to my watch and Zwift. I use it.
- Google Wifi: Keeps Zwift connected in my pain cave. I use it.
- Apple TV 4K: Zwift on the big screen. I use two.
- Google Nest Doorbell (wired, 2nd gen): My video doorbell, running in both Google Home and Apple Home. I use it.
Health, recovery and sleep
- FreeStyle Libre 3 Plus: Shows how my blood sugar responds to diet.
- hDrop: Measures my sweat loss in summer and indoors.
- Fourth Frontier Zone: Checks my heart under load in hard sessions.
- Oura Ring 5: My partner’s recovery tracker of choice.
- Kineon MOVE+: Red light therapy for niggles. It works.
- Eight Sleep: A cooling mattress cover my partner and I use nightly.
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Written by real people, with AI assistance. Fact-checked and verified for originality. See the Editorial Policy. FTC: Affiliate Disclosure — some links pay commission. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
tfk is the founder and author of the5krunner, an independent endurance sports technology publication. With 20 years of hands-on testing of GPS watches and wearables, and competing in triathlons at an international age-group level, tfk provides in-depth expert analysis of fitness technology for serious athletes and endurance sport competitors. ID
