What just happened? Apple has been dealt a blow in its long-running patent battle against Masimo after a court ordered Cupertino to pay the health tech firm $634 million. The decision came on the same day that the US International Trade Commission (ITC) announced it will decide whether imports of updated Apple Watches should be banned as part of the dispute.
Masimo launched a lawsuit against Apple in 2020 after the launch of the Series 6 watch with its blood oxygen monitoring feature. Masimo claimed that the tech giant used proprietary pulse-oximetry technology in the wearable, infringing a number of its patents. Masimo also claimed Apple had improperly recruited its staff to help develop the sensor.
Reuters writes that a federal jury has found that the Apple Watch's workout mode and heart-rate notification features violate Masimo's patent rights. The company's tech is primarily designed for hospital and clinical use.
Apple disagrees with the verdict, naturally, and confirmed it plans to appeal. A spokesperson said that Masimo has sued Apple across multiple courts in an attempt to secure a victory and asserted over 25 patents, the majority of which were found to be invalid. "The single patent in this case expired in 2022 and is specific to historic patient-monitoring technology from decades ago," Apple said.
Masimo also brought the case before the ITC. The agency ruled in its favor, leading to Apple suspending sales of the Series 9 and Ultra 2 in 2023. Apple's solution was to remove the blood oxygen feature from the two watches via an update in 2024 to avoid a permanent US ban, but it introduced an updated version in August after receiving permission from the US Customs and Border Protection. Masimo also sued the US agency in response.
On Friday, the ITC announced it will examine whether Apple's redesigned Watches – intended to circumvent the commission's earlier import ban – still violate Masimo's patents related to blood-oxygen monitoring technology. The commission aims to complete the investigation within six months.
Last year, Apple countersued Masimo over claims that the company's own smartwatch products infringed two of Apple design patents. A jury agreed, but awarded Apple just $250, the statutory minimum for infringement in the United States. Apple said the purpose of the case was not about money but to win an injunction against sales of Masimo's smartwatches.