Today, Apple has been officially banned from selling its latest Apple Watch models – Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 in the US after the Biden administration refused to veto the ban. For the uninitiated, Apple is embroiled in a patent fiasco with medical company Masimo for infringing on patents on blood oxygen monitoring sensors.
Apple appeals ITC decision banning sale of Apple Watch
Apple and Masimo have been embroiled in a patent war since 2020. In early 2020, Masimo filed a lawsuit in the US District Court for the Central District of California, claiming that Apple has infringed on their patents related to blood oxygen monitoring.
In 2021, Masimo again filed a formal complaint with the International Trade Commission after receiving an unsatisfactory response to the lawsuit filed in 2020. Of the 103 patents Masimo complained about, the ITC found Apple liable for infringing 2 patents.
In October 2023, the ITC decided to wait for a presidential review before making the ban official. As a precautionary measure, Apple took down sales of the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 from its online website and official brick-and-mortar stores last week.
