DJI has filed a lawsuit against Insta360’s parent company, Arashi Vision, at the Shenzhen Intermediate People’s Court, alleging infringement of six patents covering drone flight control, image processing, and hardware design. This marks the first time DJI has taken legal action against a competitor in its home market of China.
At the center of DJI’s case is a rule in Chinese patent law that defines inventions created by an employee within one year of leaving a company, and related to their previous work, as “service inventions” that belong to the original employer.
DJI claims that former employees who left for Insta360 took valuable knowledge with them and filed patents that should belong to DJI. The company also states that inventors were intentionally listed as “anonymous” in Chinese filings to hide their identities.
Insta360 Pushes Back
Insta360 founder JK Liu responded swiftly on Weibo, rejecting DJI’s claims across the board.
On the patents, Liu said that all ideas were developed independently at Insta360. He noted that the most important flight control patent in question, which allows for a one-button FPV “building dive,” was his idea. It has never been used in any product due to flight restrictions, and it has little practical value. “If DJI wanted this patent, they could’ve just asked for it,” Liu wrote.
Regarding the anonymous inventor filings, Liu explained that this is a common industry practice used to protect employees from corporate headhunting. It applies equally to everyone at the company, not just former DJI staff.
Liu also noted that most of the drone-related patents under dispute were filed more than four years ago and are no longer central to Insta360’s current product direction.
A Broader Competition Spills Into Court
The lawsuit arrives at a particularly charged moment. DJI recently entered the 360-degree camera market with its Osmo 360, a space long dominated by Insta360. Meanwhile, Insta360 has moved into drones through its incubated brand Antigravity, with the 8K Antigravity A1.
DJI is also set to unveil its Avata 360 drone on March 26, bringing the two companies into direct competition once again.
Liu drew a parallel to Insta360’s recent legal history, noting that GoPro had previously filed patent claims against Insta360 at the US International Trade Commission and lost entirely. He framed both lawsuits as a pattern of established players using litigation to protect market share rather than competing through innovation.
Liu pointed out that Insta360 found 28 of its patents that DJI products could possibly violate, covering hardware, software, control methods, and accessories. Still, Insta360 decided against suing. “As a smaller company with limited resources, we focus on innovation instead of lawsuits,” he said.
However, Liu emphasized that this restraint has its limits: if Insta360’s ability to innovate or release products, especially drones, is directly at risk, the company is ready to take action.
What Comes Next
Both sides are now awaiting formal court proceedings, including evidence collection and investigation. Insta360 says it plans to move forward regardless, with seven to eight new products planned for this year, including gimbal cameras, microphones, and a new drone.
Arashi Vision’s stock fell nearly seven points following the lawsuit announcement. DJI, which is privately owned, has not yet issued a public statement.
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