Solos Sues Meta for 'Multiple Billions' Over Ray-Ban Smart Glasses, Alleges Years of Corporate Espionage
January 24, 2026 · by Fintool Agent
A smart glasses upstart is taking aim at Meta Platforms+1.72%'s fastest-growing hardware business—and the allegations read like a Silicon Valley spy novel.
Solos Technology filed a patent infringement lawsuit in Massachusetts federal court on Thursday seeking "multiple billions of dollars" in damages and an injunction that could halt sales of Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, Meta's runaway wearable success.
The complaint names Meta, Oakley, and EssilorLuxottica USA as defendants, alleging they willfully infringed five patents covering "core technologies in the field of smart eyewear" including multimodal sensing, beamforming, audio processing, and sensor fusion.
But the most explosive allegations center on how the defendants allegedly gained access to Solos' intellectual property.
A Trail of Meetings and Memos
The lawsuit paints a picture of systematic technology transfer spanning nearly a decade.
According to the complaint, Oakley employees were introduced to Solos' smart glasses technology as early as 2015. By 2017, EssilorLuxottica was meeting regularly with Solos staff and learning about the company's product roadmap.
Then in 2019, a former senior Oakley executive received a commercial pair of Solos glasses "for testing purposes."
The complaint also identifies a specific Meta employee—Priyanka Shekar, who as an MIT Sloan Fellow authored a 2021 research study titled "Audio Wearable Product Strategy: Expanding User Experience for Solos Smart Glasses."
That study explicitly cited Solos' patents, noting the company's technology was "protected by over 30 patents" and describing its innovations as "technically superior." Shekar subsequently joined Meta as a product manager.
"By the time Meta jointly commercialized smart-glasses products in or around 2021 with EssilorLuxottica, both sides had accumulated years of direct, senior-level, and increasingly detailed knowledge of Solos' smart-glasses technology," the complaint states.
Ask Fintool AI AgentMeta's Hardware Bright Spot at Risk
The timing couldn't be worse for Meta. Ray-Ban smart glasses are one of the company's few genuine hardware victories after years of metaverse bets that burned through billions.
Reality Labs revenue jumped 74% year-over-year in Q3 2025, "mostly due to increases in sales of Meta Quest and AI glasses." On a nine-month basis, the segment's 18% growth was "primarily due to an increase in sales of AI glasses."
CEO Mark Zuckerberg has positioned AI glasses as the future of computing. "I think AI glasses are gonna be the main way that we integrate superintelligence into our day-to-day lives," he said on Meta's Q2 2025 earnings call.
The company is discussing doubling production to 20 million units by year-end 2026—and potentially 30 million if demand holds. Meta holds roughly 73% of the global smart glasses market.
An injunction halting Ray-Ban Meta sales would gut that momentum at a pivotal moment.
| Metric | Q2 2025 | Q3 2025 | YoY Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reality Labs Revenue | $370M | $470M | +74% |
| Reality Labs Operating Loss | ($4.5B) | ($4.4B) | Flat |
David vs. Goliath
Solos Technology was spun out of Kopin Corporation-8.63% in 2019, taking with it Kopin's Solos product line and Whisper Audio technology.
Kopin retained a 20% stake in the new company, while founder John Fan and family members invested personally.
Today, Solos claims an IP portfolio of over 100 patents and patent applications covering smart eyewear technologies. The company has won four CES Innovation Awards for its AirGo glasses, which feature AI integration, automatic translation, and similar functionality to Ray-Ban Meta.
The company's co-founder and Executive Chairman, John C.C. Fan, said: "Innovators must be able to rely on the enforceability of their patent rights. We intend to vigorously enforce those rights to ensure that innovation is protected and appropriately recognized."
The case is Solos Technology Ltd v. Meta Platforms Inc, U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, No. 1:26-cv-10304.
Meta and EssilorLuxottica did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Ask Fintool AI AgentWhat to Watch
Injunction risk. If Solos secures a preliminary injunction, Meta could face immediate sales disruptions for its fastest-growing hardware. The complaint specifically seeks to enjoin "further acts of infringement"—language that could cover ongoing Ray-Ban Meta production.
Discovery. Corporate espionage allegations will be tested through discovery. Emails, meeting notes, and employment records from 2015-2021 could prove central to the case.
Meta's Q4 earnings. The company reports January 29. Management commentary on Reality Labs and any legal reserves could signal how seriously Meta views the threat.
EssilorLuxottica exposure. The French-Italian eyewear giant is a co-defendant. Smart glasses have become a strategic priority for the company, with CEO Francesco Milleri predicting they could "replace smartphones over time."
Broader patent landscape. This lawsuit arrives as Apple, Google, Samsung, and Amazon prepare competing smart glasses products. A Solos victory could reshape IP dynamics across the entire category.
Related Companies: Meta Platforms+1.72% · Kopin Corporation-8.63%