It seems Apple has sipped from the legal “elixir of luck” once again, securing a major victory that protects its smartwatches from the guillotine of a US import ban. The US International Trade Commission (ITC) has decided to reject a request to impose a new import ban on Apple Watch, meaning the company can continue selling its devices, which underwent a software “surgery” to redesign the blood oxygen monitoring technology. This decision marks a new episode in the long-running conflict between the tech giant and Masimo, a company specializing in medical technologies.
Details of Apple’s Legal Victory
In its latest decision, the International Trade Commission relied on a preliminary ruling issued by one of its judges last March, which concluded that the modified designs Apple introduced for its watches do not infringe upon Masimo’s patents. Consequently, the Commission decided to terminate the case entirely, closing the door on Masimo’s second attempt to disrupt Apple’s sales. Apple, for its part, did not miss the opportunity to express its gratitude to the Commission, stating that Masimo is waging a “relentless” legal campaign, noting that most of the medical company’s claims have already been dismissed.
It is worth noting that this dispute is not new; it dates back to 2021 when Masimo filed its first lawsuit against Apple. At that time, Masimo successfully convinced the Commission that Apple had infringed its patents, leading to a temporary and high-profile import ban that forced Apple to disable the blood oxygen measurement feature in some models sold within the United States to return them to store shelves.
The Oxygen and Billion-Dollar Struggle
Although Masimo was dissatisfied with Apple’s modifications and tried hard to obtain a second ban covering the updated models, the ITC’s latest decision dealt a strong blow to its plans. Now, Masimo has only one option left: to appeal to the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, a long and arduous path that may not necessarily lead to the outcome it desires.
Despite Masimo’s setback on the ban front, it continues to fight Apple on other fronts. Last November, Masimo achieved a massive financial victory when a federal jury ruled that Apple must pay $634 million in damages for infringing other patents related to smartwatches. It seems Apple may survive the ban, but it will not entirely escape paying the hefty legal bills in this conflict, which appears far from over.
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