In a bid to overturn a US ban on its latest smartwatch models, Apple has announced its intention to appeal after the Biden administration chose not to veto a ruling on patent infringements. The ban, effective as of Tuesday, has led to the removal of the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 from both physical stores and online platforms.
This prohibition marks the latest legal skirmish involving major tech firms grappling over valuable patents, a trend mirrored in Google’s courtroom battle against Sonos over speaker technology.
The United States International Trade Commission (USITC) had decided in October to impose the ban on Apple’s latest smartwatch models due to a patented technology related to detecting blood-oxygen levels. The ruling stemmed from a complaint filed in mid-2021 by medical device maker Masimo Corp, accusing Apple of infringing on “light-based oximetry functionality.”
The US Trade Representative’s office confirmed the ban on Tuesday, stating that Ambassador Katherine Tai opted not to reverse the USITC’s decision, making it final on December 26, 2023. While President Joe Biden’s office possesses the authority to reverse import bans, such actions are infrequently taken.
In response, Apple asserts that the USITC’s finding is erroneous and should be reversed, prompting the company to file an appeal in a US federal court. Despite this, Apple had already withdrawn the implicated products from its online store on December 21, with retail locations discontinuing sales on December 24, just ahead of the holiday season.
Masimo, pleased with the confirmed ban, described it as a “win for the integrity of the US patent system” and emphasized the benefit to American consumers through an ecosystem that rewards genuine innovation. They , however, strongly disagrees with the USITC decision and the resulting exclusion order, expressing its commitment to taking measures to return the affected smartwatches to US customers as soon as possible.
This legal dispute between They and Masimo has been ongoing, with accusations and counter-accusations. The organisation contends that Masimo is using litigation to clear the path for its own Apple Watch-inspired products, while Masimo claims that the organisation poached its employees to gain access to the technology it invented. The stakes remain high in this clash of tech titans over intellectual property rights.