Topline
The International Trade Commission issued a ruling on Thursday that could keep Apple from importing Apple Watches, confirming a previous decision that found they are in violation of patents held by health technology company Masimo.
President Joe Biden has 60 days to determine whether he will veto an import ban on Apple Watches … [+]
Key Facts
The ITC announced Thursday the commission was upholding a judge’s January ruling that found Apple had violated some patent rights with regard to Masimo’s “wearable electronic devices with light-based pulse oximetry functionality.”
The Commission was considering an appeal from Apple over the January ruling that found Apple violated two of Masimo’s patent claims but was clear on seven other claims, according to previous Forbes reporting.
The ban on importing Apple watches won’t be implemented immediately as there is a 60-day period during which President Joe Biden can veto the ban, though it’s rare for presidents to intervene, according to Reuters.
Founder and CEO of Masimo Joe Kiani said in a statement Thursday: “Today’s ruling by the USITC sends a powerful message that even the world’s largest company is not above the law.”
Key Background
The ITC’s ruling was the latest development in the intellectual property fight between Apple and Masimo. Kiani has spent at least $60 million in his legal battle over the Apple Watch and pursuing allegations that Apple poached his employees and stole trade secrets, along with the patent infringement claims. Apple has continuously denied Kiani’s allegations, and a case on whether Apple stole trade secrets—a $1.8 billion lawsuit from Kiani—ended in a mistrial in May. In a filing regarding the ITC investigation, Apple lawyers argued Masimo, which entered the smart watch game last year when it released a $499 “health watch,” was working to get the Apple Watch off the U.S. market; Apple lawyers also claimed an import ban on Apple Watches could impede medical research. But the potential import ban as a result of Masimo’s patents isn’t the only one Apple is facing: In February, the ITC issued a ban over findings that Apple infringed on AliveCor patents, but that ban is under appeal and on hold, Reuters reported.
Further Reading
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/mollybohannon/2023/10/26/international-trade-commission-issues-ruling-potentially-banning-apple-watches-from-being-imported-to-us/