Buchanan Urges USTR to Uphold U.S. Patent Protections for Innovative Health Technology

Follows ITC Decision Blocking Foreign Firms from Importing Infringing Health Devices

WASHINGTON - Today, Congressman Vern Buchanan, Vice Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee and Chair of the Health Subcommittee, led a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer urging him to uphold the International Trade Commission's (ITC) ruling that protects patented health-monitoring ring technology from foreign infringement. Read the exclusive on Buchanan's letter in Politico here.

The letter follows the ITC's recent decision affirming that certain Chinese and Indian companies unlawfully imported and sold smart wearable devices that infringed on Oura's U.S. patents. In response, the Commission issued a Limited Exclusion Order and accompanying Cease-and-Desist Orders to block the continued importation and sale of the infringing products. The case is now being reviewed by the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) for enforcement.

"As Chair of the Health Subcommittee, I've made it a top priority to highlight the promise of wearable technology in transforming our health care system," said Buchanan. "Oura was the first to bring its innovative smart ring technology to the American market and has invested significantly in research, development and manufacturing here in the United States. Protecting this progress is not only vital to upholding U.S. patent policy but also to safeguarding the privacy of patient health information. Upholding the ITC's ruling will ensure that all companies choosing to invest in America can continue to grow and create jobs here at home. Foreign adversaries and competitors should not be allowed to mislead regulators or compromise the biometric data of American citizens. Congress must stand firm in protecting the health and security of the American people."

Buchanan's letter underscores the need to safeguard U.S. intellectual property, protect sensitive health data and strengthen domestic supply chains. It notes that Oura, the first company to commercialize a ring-form wearable in 2015, has invested heavily in U.S. research and development and plans to expand manufacturing in Texas, while warning of the risks posed by foreign firms collecting biometric data under weaker privacy protections.

Buchanan was joined in signing the letter by Reps. Troy Balderson (R-Ohio), Rich McCormick (R-Ga.), Cory Mills (R-Fla.), David Schweikert (R-Ariz.), Greg Steube (R-Fla.) and Beth Van Duyne (R-Texas).

Buchanan has been a leading advocate for protecting American innovation and strengthening U.S. manufacturing through his leadership on the Ways and Means Committee. He serves as Chair of the Health Subcommittee, where he recently held a hearing on wearable technology and the importance of safeguarding patient data, and also sits on the Trade Subcommittee.

Read the full letter here or below.

Dear Ambassador Greer:

We write concerning the ongoing Presidential Review Period for the remedial orders issued by the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC or "the Commission") in Investigation No. 337-TA-1398.

On August 21, 2025, the Commission affirmed the Administrative Law Judge's finding that Respondents Ultrahuman Healthcare Pvt. Ltd. of Bengaluru, India; Ultrahuman Healthcare SP LLC of Abu Dhabi, UAE; and Ultrahuman Healthcare Ltd. of London, United Kingdom (collectively, "Ultrahuman"); and Shenzhen Ninenovo Technology Ltd. d/b/a RingConn ("RingConn"); violated Section 337 by importing and selling smart health-monitoring rings that infringe a patent owned by innovator company Oura. The Commission consequently issued a Limited Exclusion Order and accompanying Cease and Desist Orders (collectively, "LEO/CDOs") to bar the continued importation and domestic sale of the infringing products and components thereof.

We urge the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) to act such that these remedial orders stand. Robust enforcement of intellectual property rights is indispensable to American innovation, competitiveness and national security-considerations that the ITC weighed carefully when making its decision and are squarely within USTR's public interest mandate during presidential review.

First, strong patent protection underpins the development of emerging medical-grade wearables, a sector with immense potential to improve population health, reduce costly interventions and generate high-skilled American jobs. Oura was the first company to commercialize a ring-form health wearable in 2015 and has made substantial investments in U.S.-based research, development and technical support. Oura has also announced plans to expand a significant tranche of its manufacturing in Texas-an increase predicated on the ability to exclude copyists that free-ride on its R&D. In order to further the role that health wearables can play in improving patients' health, innovative companies need to be able to rely on their intellectual property and their ability to exclude those that infringe it.

Second, the ITC's record shows that the Respondents' conduct extends well beyond ordinary patent disputes. Ultrahuman and its counsel repeatedly attempted to mislead the Commission, even submitting a doctored video purporting to show a domestic manufacturing facility in Plano, Texas-a fabrication the Commission condemned as emblematic of "serious credibility and judgment issues." Their willingness to blatantly misrepresent the proceedings is representative of the lack of credibility Ultrahuman has shown throughout the investigation. RingConn likewise offered no credible evidence of domestic production or licensed technology. Allowing entities that have engaged in such misrepresentations to continue importing infringing devices would embolden future bad actors and undermine the integrity of U.S. trade adjudication.

Third, the public interest factors weigh decisively in favor of enforcement. These foreign-owned respondents collect vast quantities of sensitive biometric data while operating under weaker privacy regimes, thereby posing heightened cybersecurity, national security, and health privacy risks to American consumers. The ITC found no reliable evidence that the LEO/CDOs would impede legitimate medical research or deprive U.S. consumers of essential health benefits; to the contrary, the orders will accelerate lawful competition by rewarding original invention rather than imitation.

Finally, allowing the ITC's orders to take effect aligns with the Administration's broader goals of strengthening domestic supply chains, securing critical technologies and protecting American intellectual capital from unfair trade practices. This approach is consistent with President Trump's America First Trade Policy. The Commission's remedial framework is narrowly tailored: legitimate, non-infringing products may continue to enter the market, and the respondents remain free to compete once they respect U.S. patents or secure appropriate licenses.

For these reasons, we respectfully request the USTR affirm ITC's well-supported LEO and CDOs in Investigation No. 337-TA-1398. Upholding the Commission's ruling will send a clear signal that the United States protects innovators, defends the rule of law, and prioritizes the health, privacy, and economic security of the American people.

Thank you for your thoughtful consideration of this critical matter.

Sincerely,