Meta and EssilorLuxottica Sued for Billions Over Smart Glasses Patent Infringement
Solos Technology, a Hong Kong-based smart glasses pioneer, has launched a multi-billion dollar patent infringement lawsuit against Meta and its eyewear partner EssilorLuxottica, alleging the tech giant's Ray-Ban Meta and Oakley Meta smart glasses infringe on fundamental technologies developed over more than a decade.
The complaint was filed in the US District Court for Massachusetts on 23 January 2026, claiming willful infringement of five patents covering core smart eyewear technologies including multimodal sensing, beamforming audio processing, sensor fusion, and contextual assistance systems.
The lawsuit targets Meta's entire smart glasses product line, including Ray-Ban Stories, Wayfarer Gen 1 and 2, Skyler Gen 2, Headliner Gen 2, Display models, and the Oakley Meta HSTN, along with all variants and derivatives.
Knowledge allegations
Central to the complaint are allegations that Meta personnel gained detailed understanding of Solos' technology before launching their products. The lawsuit highlights research conducted by former MIT Sloan Fellow Priyanka Shekar, who analysed Solos' AirGo system in 2020-21, expressly citing Solos' patents and describing the technology as "technically superior" and "protected by over 30 patents."
Shekar subsequently joined Meta Reality Labs as a Product Manager, where she contributed to early smart glasses initiatives under the Ray-Ban partnership, according to the complaint.
The lawsuit also details multiple interactions between Solos co-founder Ernesto Martinez and personnel from Oakley and EssilorLuxottica dating back to 2015, including product demonstrations at industry events and direct meetings at corporate offices.
Market impact
The financial stakes are substantial. The complaint cites Barclays estimates indicating the Meta Ray-Ban collaboration generated approximately US$426 million in revenue in 2024, with projections reaching US$1.1 billion in 2025 and US$10 billion by 2030.
Solos, which has its US headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts, traces its origins to Kopin Corporation, a Massachusetts-based pioneer in microdisplays and wearable computing. The company spun out independently in 2019, acquiring the full smart glasses technology portfolio.
Patent portfolio
The five asserted patents cover technologies filed between 2015 and 2019:
- US Patent 10,306,389: Head wearable acoustic systems with noise cancelling microphone geometry
- US Patent 10,651,866: Beamforming using fractional time delay in digitally oversampled sensor systems
- US Patent 11,082,055: Additional beamforming technologies
- US Patent 11,871,174: Personalised directional audio for head-worn audio projection systems
- US Patent 12,216,339: Eyewear systems for providing user assistance (issued February 2025)
Defendants' response
The lawsuit names Meta Platforms Inc., Meta Platforms Technologies LLC, Oakley Inc., Luxottica of America Inc., and EssilorLuxottica USA Inc. as defendants.
None of the defendants had publicly commented on the lawsuit at the time of publication.
Relief sought
Solos is seeking monetary damages including lost profits and reasonable royalties, enhanced damages for willful infringement, permanent injunctive relief to prevent ongoing infringement, attorneys' fees, and disgorgement of profits.
The complaint includes detailed claim charts comparing the patented technologies with the Ray-Ban Meta Wayfarer Gen 1, which Solos alleges is representative of all accused products.
Distribution in Australia
Solos smartglasses are distributed in Australia by Specsavers.
MIDO 2026
Solos will showcase their groundbreaking smartglasses AirGo V2 in MIDO 2026 at Pavilion 2, Booth # N58
