Apple announced on Tuesday that it plans to challenge a US ban on its latest smartwatch models after the Biden administration chose not to intervene in a ruling on patent infringements.
The ban on Apple’s newest smartwatches, the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2, went into effect on Tuesday, making them unavailable for purchase in stores or online.
This prohibition is the latest legal dispute involving major technology companies over valuable patents, with Google also engaged in a court battle against Sonos over speaker technology.
The United States International Trade Commission (ITC) decided in October to prohibit the sale of the Apple Watch models due to a patented technology used for detecting blood-oxygen levels.
The ruling originated from a complaint filed with the commission in mid-2021 by medical device maker Masimo Corp, accusing Apple of infringing on “light-based oximetry functionality.”
“After careful consultations, Ambassador (Katherine) Tai decided not to reverse the… determination, and the ITC’s decision became final on December 26, 2023,” stated the US Trade Representative’s office on Tuesday.
While the US President’s office has the authority to overturn import bans, such interventions are infrequent.
Masimo, in a statement, celebrated the confirmed ban as “a win for the integrity of the US patent system, and ultimately American consumers who will benefit from an ecosystem that rewards true innovation.”
Apple, however, argues that the ITC’s decision was mistaken and should be overturned. The company filed an appeal in a US federal court.
Despite the appeal, Apple removed the affected products from the online Apple Store on December 21, and retail locations ceased sales on December 24, just before the holiday.
Apple produces the majority of its products abroad, mainly in China, which places the International Trade Commission in charge of the case.
Masimo claims to have invented the technology, asserting that Apple recruited its employees to gain access to the knowledge.
Apple has consistently enhanced fitness and health features with each iteration of its Apple Watch, securing a dominant position in the smartwatch market.
Apple introduced the Apple Watch Series 9 in September, highlighting improved performance and features that enable access to health data logging.
“We strongly disagree with the USITC decision and resulting exclusion order, and are taking all measures to return Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 to customers in the US as soon as possible,” Apple said in a statement on Tuesday.
At the time of the initial decision, Apple stated that Masimo had “wrongly attempted to use the ITC to keep a potentially lifesaving product from millions of US consumers while making way for their own watch that copies Apple.”
In May, a trial regarding Masimo’s allegations ended in a mistrial after jurors were unable to reach a unanimous verdict.
Apple contends that Masimo is leveraging litigation to pave the way for its own products inspired by the Apple Watch.
In November, US regulators granted approval to Masimo for the use of its wrist-worn product for both prescription and over-the-counter purposes.
Towards the end of last year, Apple filed two patent infringement lawsuits against Masimo, accusing the company of copying Apple Watch technology.
