Chiropractor Sues Therabody Over Uncredited Massager Designs

In a recent legal dispute, chiropractor Michael Wasilisin, known as Dr. Mike of MoveU, has filed a lawsuit against Therabody, the company behind the high-end fitness recovery device Theragun. The crux of the dispute revolves around the design of specialized massager tips for the Theragun, which Wasilisin claims he developed and shared with Therabody founder Jason Wersland, also known as Dr. Jason. Wasilisin alleges that despite his contributions, he was not listed as an inventor on two patents for the thumb and wedge massage tips, nor has he received any compensation for his work.

Wasilisin and Wersland initially formed a friendship based on their shared belief in helping people deal with chronic pain. Their agreement was informal, with Wasilisin expecting compensation in the form of a boat, the size of which would depend on his contributions to Therabody's sales. Wasilisin promoted the Theragun devices to his millions of followers on various social media platforms, but he claims he has not received any compensation for his efforts.

In his lawsuit, Wasilisin seeks corrections to the patents to list him as the sole inventor, compensatory and punitive damages, and an accounting of all Therabody products sold with the attachments he designed. Therabody's general counsel, Jonathan Feldman, has stated that the company believes the claims in the lawsuit are without merit and intends to vigorously defend itself against the allegations.

The Theragun massager, which retails for $650, includes a variety of tips to target different areas of the body and a multitude of muscle aches and pains. Wasilisin's lawyer, Tanner Murphy, estimates that the case could be worth millions of dollars, as there is a pool of revenue attributable to the attachments designed by Wasilisin.

According to Wasilisin's lawsuit, he reached out to Wersland in August 2017 and shared his designs for the thumb and wedge tips. He claims that Therabody filed two patents for the designs without listing his name as an inventor. Wasilisin alleges that he was not informed about the patents until much later, and even then, his name was not listed. Wersland allegedly texted Wasilisin in 2021, promising to sign something for every idea Wasilisin had given him and to list him on the patent for the thumb attachment. However, Wasilisin discovered that his name was not listed on the patents, leading to a text exchange where Wersland promised to fix the issue.

Wasilisin's lawyer, David Hecht, believes that Therabody cannot dispute that they are using Wasilisin's designs. Wasilisin has expressed his desire to see Therabody succeed but also wants acknowledgment for his work. He claims that he was offered a "bogus contract" by Therabody, which he refused to sign after running it through Grok AI. Wasilisin was devastated by Wersland's response, who allegedly asked him why he couldn't just drop the issue. Wasilisin has stated that he wants to see Therabody and his ex-friend Wersland succeed but also wants acknowledgment for his work.