Woodway Reaches Settlement with Samsara Over Treadmill Patent Lawsuit

Woodway USA, Waukesha, Wisconsin, has reached a settlement with Samsara Fitness, Chester, Connecticut, in a two-year-long lawsuit that alleged Samsara's TrueForm Runner treadmill infringed upon Woodway's design patents. The amount of the settlement was undisclosed.

“We are pleased with the result and validation of our patents as we take immense pride in the innovations Woodway has developed and integrated into our products," Eric Weber, Woodway's director of sales and marketing, said in an Oct. 4 media release. "Going forward, Woodway remains committed to proactively enforcing and vigorously asserting its valuable intellectual property.”

In Connecticut federal court, Judge Janet C. Hall had previously ruled that Samsara's curved TrueForm Runner infringed upon Woodway's U.S. Patent No. 9,039,580, with a jury trial set to resolve further infringement claims. Before the trial could begin, both parties reached a settlement that stipulates Samsara will adopt licenses for the patents in question, including No. 9,039,580.

Patent No. 9,039,580 specifically protects Woodway's line of curved, non-motorized treadmills, first introduced in 2009.

Woodway is actively pursuing further patents to protect additional company assets, according to the release.

Club Industry reached out to Samsara for comment. Samsara told Club Industry on Oct. 18 that it will issue a press release in the near future regarding the settlement and litigation.

On Oct. 16, Woodway announced its Woodway’s Curve Education was available via Inspire360, an education and certification management program specific to the fitness industry.

“The Woodway Curve has created a whole new category in treadmills," Weber said in an Oct. 16 media release. "While club operators love the versatility and opportunity it brings, they also realize that not all their trainers understand the full potential it offers them. ... After an extensive search and many discussions, we found that Inspire360 was the ideal application to provide clear and direct education and most importantly access on demand whenever needed."

A study recently published in the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport asserts that runners work 30 percent harder on curved, non-motorized treadmills.