Users spared disruption as dispute over Heatmaps and Segments meets a quick conclusion
In a swift U-turn, Strava has voluntarily dismissed its patent infringement lawsuit against Garmin just three weeks after the legal action was first made public.
The sudden end to the dispute means the millions of users who rely on the connection between the two dominant platforms in cycling and running tech can rest easy.
For those needing a quick refresher, though: Strava filed the lawsuit earlier this month, alleging Garmin infringed on two patents related to its popular Live Segments and Heatmaps features.
The initial filing requested that courts halt the sale of essentially all Garmin watches and bike computers that utilized these features.
Yet, while the patent claims were the headline, the dispute quickly appeared to be more complex, seemingly linked to new Garmin API guidelines. In short, these new rules require partners like Strava to display the Garmin logo on activities originating from Garmin devices.
Strava’s CPO Matt Salazar—who PULSE by Wareable spoke to just last year regarding interoperability—took to Reddit to author a post titled, ‘Setting the record straight on Garmin’.
In it, Salazar described the API change as “blatant advertising” and stated that Strava couldn’t justify to its users why it would comply with the guidelines. He also noted that Garmin had threatened to cut off API access if Strava didn’t agree by November 1st.
However, interestingly, these API complaints didn’t form part of the official patent lawsuit (which DC Rainmaker provides a comprehensive explainer of, if you crave the nitty-gritty details).
Either way, amid lots of confusion, Strava reassured users last week that connectivity between the platforms would remain uninterrupted. And this voluntary dismissal finally removes any lingering doubt about a potential service disruption.
What happens now?
While the exact reasons for the withdrawal haven’t been disclosed, the lawsuit was seen as a high-risk move for Strava by some in the industry—especially with the company reportedly eyeing an IPO in 2026.
For now, at least, the drama appears to be over. Users can continue syncing their Garmin activities to Strava without concern.
Strava, we expect, will continue to focus on pushing its platform forward. Following widespread changes to its leadership team and a raft of updates in 2024, this one has also been a busy year. It acquired the training app Runna back in April and just recently announced a partnership with Airbnb.
With no official comment from Garmin released during the episode, though, we’ll have to watch this space to see if any lasting damage to the fitness tech giants’ relationship emerges.
