US trade tribunal might stop Apple Watch imports due to Masimo's patent dispute
The US Trade Commission might ban Apple Watches because they were found to violate Masimo's medical patents.
emerging tech
Highlights
- US Trade Commission considers blocking Apple Watch imports due to Masimo's patent claims
- The decision awaits a presidential review and is open to possible appeals
- Apple's wearables and accessories segment brought in $8.28 billion in Q3 2023
The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) issued an order that could halt Apple Watch imports, stating they infringe Masimo's patents for blood-oxygen technology.
The ruling reaffirms an earlier decision from January. However, it's not immediate; it faces presidential review and possible appeals. President Joe Biden's administration has 60 days to decide on a veto, a rare move historically.
Apple can appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit afterward. The affected Apple Watch models weren't specified. Masimo claimed the infringing watches were made in China, but Apple has shifted some production to Vietnam. This dispute spans multiple jurisdictions.
Masimo, Chief Executive Officer, said the decision
sends a powerful message that even the world's largest company is not above the law.
Apple is also confronting an import ban for the Apple Watch in a different patent dispute with AliveCor, a medical tech company. The ITC imposed a ban in February but paused it as the validity of AliveCor's patents is being reviewed in related proceedings.
The U.S. International Trade Commission has decided to issue a limited exclusion order for Apple Watches with light-based pulse oximetry functionality that infringe Masimo’s patents. Learn more on the USITC’s ruling: https://t.co/F6JAnUOk4K
— Masimo (@Masimo) October 27, 2023
Technology dispute between Masimo & Apple
Masimo, a company from Irvine, California, claims that Apple took its technology and used it in various Apple Watch models. A trial in a California federal court about these allegations ended inconclusively in May.
In response, Apple filed a separate lawsuit against Masimo for patent infringement in a federal court in Delaware. Apple argues that Masimo's legal actions are an attempt to remove obstacles for its own competing smartwatch.
According to a report from the company, Apple's wearables, home, and accessory business, which includes products like the Apple Watch and AirPods earbuds, generated $8.28 billion in revenue in the third quarter of 2023.
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