Shares in EssilorLuxottica (EU:EL) slipped about 1% after reports emerged that the eyewear group has been named in a patent infringement lawsuit brought by Solos Technology, focused on smartglasses-related innovations.
According to Bloomberg, Solos Technology has filed suit against both EssilorLuxottica and Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META), alleging infringement of patents covering multimodal sensing, audio processing, intelligent assistance and integrated system architectures designed for real-time user interaction in smart eyewear.
Solos maintains that it secured the relevant intellectual property several years before the defendants began developing rival products. The complaint is centred on Meta’s Ray-Ban Meta Gen 1 smartglasses, though it also argues that subsequent versions continue to rely on the same patented technologies. Oakley, one of EssilorLuxottica’s brands, is also named in the filing. Solos is seeking damages running into the billions of dollars, as well as an injunction to prevent any further alleged infringement.
EssilorLuxottica has declined to comment on the case, pointing to its blackout period ahead of full-year 2025 results due to be released on February 11.
Commenting on the situation, analysts at Jefferies warned: “A settlement and/or temporary injunction on smartglasses sales would be a worst-case scenario based on historical precedents and Solos’s claims.”
The lawsuit further alleges that Meta employees became familiar with Solos’s technology through reviews of technical documentation and by hiring individuals with prior knowledge of the systems. It also claims that personnel linked to EssilorLuxottica tested Solos’s technologies over a number of years at industry events.
Both EssilorLuxottica and Meta are expected to strongly contest the allegations.
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