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Apple scored a victory on Wednesday (Dec 27) as a US appeals court paused a government commission’s import ban on some of its popular Apple smartwatches following a patent dispute with medical technology firm Masimo.
The tech giant had filed an emergency request for the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit to halt the order after appealing the US International Trade Commission’s (ITC) decision that it had infringed Masimo’s patents.
US President Joe Biden’s administration declined to veto the ban on Dec 26, allowing it to take effect. Apple asked for a pause of the ban later that day.
Masimo has accused Apple of hiring away its employees, stealing its pulse oximetry technology and incorporating it into Apple Watches.
The ITC barred imports and sales of Apple Watches with technology for reading blood-oxygen levels. Apple has included a pulse oximeter feature in its smartwatches starting with its Series 6 model in 2020.
Apple has paused sales of its Series 9 and Ultra 2 smartwatches in the US, though the watches have remained available at other retailers including Amazon, Best Buy, Costco and Walmart.
The ban does not affect the Apple Watch SE, a less-expensive model without a pulse oximeter. Previously sold watches also will not be affected by the ban.
A jury trial on Masimo’s allegations against Apple in California federal court ended with a mistrial in May. Apple has separately sued Masimo for patent infringement in federal court in Delaware and called Masimo’s legal actions a “manoeuvre to clear a path” for its competing smartwatch.
Apple’s wearables, home and accessory business, which includes the Apple Watch, AirPods earbuds and other products, brought in US$8.28 billion in revenue during the third quarter of 2023, according to a company report.
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