Oakley, Inc.
Oakley, Inc. is an American company founded by Jim Jannard in 1975. Headquartered in Foothill Ranch, California, Oakley operates as a subsidiary of the Italian eyewear conglomerate EssilorLuxottica, which acquired it in a $2.1 billion deal in 2007. Oakley designs, develops, and manufactures sports performance equipment and lifestyle products. While specific revenue and employee figures are not publicly detailed, its parent company is a global leader in the eyewear industry.
The company's core business revolves around high-performance eyewear, including sunglasses, safety glasses, prescription eyeglasses, and ski/snowboard goggles. Oakley is known for its lens technologies and holds over 600 patents for eyewear, materials, and gear. Beyond optics, the company's product lines extend to apparel, backpacks, shoes, watches, and other accessories, often developed with input from professional athletes. Oakley also has a division, US Standard Issue, that provides protective eyewear to the U.S. military and law enforcement.
As a major operating company, Oakley's patent litigation posture is balanced, as shown by its involvement as both a plaintiff and a defendant. The company actively litigates to protect its intellectual property while also defending against infringement claims. The cases are not concentrated in any single jurisdiction known for favoring patent plaintiffs.
Oakley, along with its parent companies and Meta Platforms, is a defendant in a significant patent infringement lawsuit brought by Solos Technology Limited in the District of Massachusetts. Filed in January 2026, the suit alleges that smart glasses, including the Oakley Meta and Ray-Ban Meta products, infringe on Solos' patents related to audio processing, sensor fusion, and intelligent assistance technologies. Solos is seeking billions in damages. The related case at the Federal Circuit, Luxottica OF America Inc et al. v. Solos Technology Ltd, appears to be an appeal connected to this district court litigation.