ITC Institutes Investigation into Hesai’s Unlawful Use of Ouster’s Patents

Ouster, Inc. (NYSE: OUST) (“Ouster” or the “Company”), a leading provider of high-performance lidar sensors for the automotive, industrial, robotics, and smart infrastructure industries, announced today that the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) has voted to institute an investigation into the unfair trade practices of Hesai Group (Nasdaq: HSAI) based in Shanghai, China, and related entities.

The unfair trade practices to be investigated relate to the unlawful importation of Hesai lidar sensors that infringe on five valid and enforceable patents owned by Ouster relating to lidar technology (U.S. Patents 11,175,405; 11,178,381; 11,190,750; 11,287,515; and 11,422,236). This investigation is a result of the complaint filed by Ouster on April 11, 2023. Ouster’s complaint requests that the ITC issue a limited exclusion order and a cease and desist order against Hesai and related entities to bar the importation into the United States of Hesai's lidar devices, components, and products that are alleged to infringe Ouster's patents.

Hesai has had multiple patent infringement claims filed against it, while Ouster holds one of the largest patent families in the lidar industry, with patents found valid and enforceable. The Company intends to enforce its patents until the infringing products are barred. Within the next two months, the assigned administrative law judge will set a target date for completing the investigation.

“We are confident in our complaint against Hesai, and happy to see that the ITC recognizes its merit and decided to institute an investigation,” said Ouster CEO Angus Pacala. “There is an ongoing track-record of IP theft by Chinese companies that should not be tolerated. It diminishes U.S. innovation and weakens our domestic industry, particularly for critical and emerging technologies like lidar. Ouster intends to enforce its patents until all imported products that infringe are barred.”

About Ouster

Ouster (NYSE: OUST) is a leading global provider of high-resolution scanning and solid-state digital lidar sensors, Velodyne Lidar sensors, and software solutions for the automotive, industrial, robotics, and smart infrastructure industries. Ouster is on a mission to build a safer and more sustainable future by offering affordable, high-performance sensors that drive mass adoption across a wide variety of applications. With a global team and high-volume manufacturing, Ouster supports over 850 customers in approximately 50 countries. Ouster is headquartered in San Francisco, CA with offices in the Americas, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Middle East. For more information, visit www.ouster.com, or connect with us on Twitter or LinkedIn.