U.S. Bans Imports of Apple Watch Models Following Masimo Patent Dispute

TThe U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) has banned importing certain models of Apple’s Apple Watches into the United States. This move follows a complaint from Masimo, a medical-monitoring technology company, alleging that the Apple Watch’s blood-oxygen reading feature infringes on its pulse oximetry patents.

The ban, effective from December 25, was not vetoed by President Joe Biden’s administration. It targets Apple Watches with the pulse oximetry feature introduced in the Series 6 models. Apple preemptively paused U.S. sales of its high-end Series 9 and Ultra 2 models, though the Apple Watch SE remains unaffected. The ban extends to Apple and its related business entities, but other retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart were still selling these models as of December 26.

Legal Battle Between Apple and Masimo

Masimo has accused Apple of poaching its employees and stealing technology, leading to legal confrontations. A jury trial in California ended in a mistrial, with no rescheduled date yet. Apple countersued Masimo in Delaware, asserting that Masimo’s legal actions were an attempt to eliminate competition for its smartwatch.

Apple plans to appeal the ban at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington. The company is also exploring software changes to avoid infringing Masimo’s patents, hoping to resume importing and selling the affected watch models upon approval from U.S. Customs and Border Protection. However, Masimo maintains that its patents cover hardware, casting doubt on the effectiveness of a software-only solution.