The US International Trade Commission (ITC) recently made a pivotal decision regarding the sale of certain Apple Watch models in the United States, following a patent dispute related to the blood oxygen sensor featured in the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2.
Photo from Google
ITC Ruling and Apple’s Response
The ITC ruled in favor of medical technology company Masimo, issuing a directive to cease sales of specific Apple Watch models due to alleged patent violations involving the blood oxygen sensor technology. Despite Apple’s motion to pause the ban during the appeal, the ITC denied the request, pending potential intervention by the President.
Consequently, Apple announced a phased cessation of sales for affected models, with discontinuation on Apple.com starting December 21, followed by in-store sales on December 24, and availability through third-party retailers until inventory depletion. Notably, other models without the blood oxygen sensor, like the Apple Watch SE, remain unaffected by the ban.
The legal dispute originated from Masimo’s lawsuit against Apple in 2021, alleging patent infringements related to light-based blood-oxygen monitoring. Despite the sales ban, existing Apple Watch models, including the Series 6 initially targeted in the lawsuit, retain the functionality of the blood oxygen feature.
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Counterclaims and Presidential Review
In retaliation, Apple filed patent infringement suits against Masimo, asserting that the latter’s smartwatch had copied features from the Apple Watch, escalating the legal conflict between the companies.
Currently, a Presidential Review Period is ongoing following the ITC’s order, slated to conclude on December 25. Apple indicated its preparedness to comply with the ruling should it persist, navigating the potential repercussions for sales and the utilization of the affected Apple Watch models.
READ ALSO: ITC denies motion to pause US Apple Watch ban until appeal is over
