On April 5, Apple called on the US federal appeals court to reverse the previous decision of the US International Trade Commission (ITC) to ban the import of some Apple watches, which are entangled in a patent dispute. patented with medical technology company Masimo.
In its argument, Apple emphasized that the ITC’s decision was based on “a series of patent rulings that contained major defects.” According to Apple, the ban cannot be effective because a patented Masimo wearable device is “purely hypothetical” when it filed an ITC complaint in 2021. The technology group also argued that Masimo’s patents are invalid and asserts that Apple’s watch does not infringe.
California-based Masimo filed a complaint against the ITC in 2021, accusing Apple of stealing trade secrets related to blood oxygen measurement technology and violating Masimo’s patents. In October 2023, ITC recognized that Apple’s sensor device measuring blood oxygen levels violated Masimo’s copyright, accordingly ITC decided to ban the import of Series 9 and Ultra 2 smart watch models with sensors. this variable. This ban is expected to take effect from December 26, 2023. However, Apple convinced the US court to temporarily suspend the ban a day later (December 27, 2023) while the court considered Apple’s appeal.
On January 17, the US federal appeals court reinstated the ban, forcing Apple to remove the blood oxygen level measurement feature from watches sold during the appeal period, which Apple said had can last at least a year.