In a significant legal blow to Apple Inc., the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has reinstated a ban on the importation of advanced models of the Apple Watch, including the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2. The decision follows a previous ruling by the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) that found these models infringed upon patents held by California-based Masimo Corporation, a medical technology firm.
The court's decision denies Apple's request to temporarily pause the ban while appealing the ITC ruling. This reinstatement means Apple cannot import the affected models into the United States, severely impacting the tech giant's watch lineup.
The heart of the dispute lies in the pulse oximeter feature of the Apple Watch, which measures blood oxygen levels. Masimo alleges that this feature infringes upon its patents, leading to the initial ITC ruling in October. While Apple had been temporarily allowed to continue imports following an interim pause, this latest court ruling puts an end to these imports during the ongoing appeal.
In a move to circumvent the ban, Apple has reportedly received approval from U.S. Customs and Border Protection to import a redesigned version of its advanced Apple Watches. These models will lack the contentious pulse oximeter function. However, Apple has not publicly commented on whether it will proceed with importing these redesigned models.
Apple has not yet responded to requests for comments regarding the latest court ruling. The decision presents a significant hurdle for the company, which may now have to rely on its redesigned watches without the pulse oximeter function to maintain its presence in the U.S. smartwatch market.
The tech giant's strategy and response to this ongoing legal battle will be closely watched, as it navigates the complexities of patent disputes and international trade regulations. As the appeal process continues, the future of Apple's advanced watch models in the U.S. market remains uncertain.
