Apple vs Masimo patent battle: ITC issues an order that could potentially ban Apple Watch imports

Apple is no stranger to patent infringement cases, and this one in particular has been quite the battle. We're talking about a patent infringement case between Apple and medical tech company Masimo over the Apple Watch. The US International Trade Commission (ITC) seems to have come to the conclusion that the Apple Watch has infringed Masimo's patents. 9to5Mac now reports that the ITC has issued an order that could ban Apple Watch imports to the US.

Apple Watch import ban possibility is getting more real

At the beginning of this year, the ban was already looming over the Apple Watch. The tech that the dispute is all about is the technology that reads blood oxygen levels on the Apple Watch. The tech was first introduced with the Apple Watch Series 6 back in 2020.

Now, every subsequent Apple Watch release (apart from the SE models) comes with blood oxygen monitoring. It's not clear whether the ban will affect just the Series 6 (which is, by the way, discontinued by Apple now), or all the newer models including the Series 9 or the Ultra 2.

The ban has not gone into effect just yet. It needs a presidential review now - a decision on whether to veto the ban or not should be made within 60 days. And even if the ban doesn't get vetoed, Apple can still appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

Where this all started

Actually, it seems like the story between the two companies doesn't begin in 2020. Reportedly, Apple wanted to collaborate with Masimo in 2013. According to Masimo, the meetings the two companies held resulted in Apple stealing information and expertise and also hiring some of Masimo's employees before the launch of the Apple Watch.

As you may probably imagine, just like any other legal battle, this may take a while before we see any results. Apple's also been in a similar legal battle with AliveCor, this time on its electrocardiogram feature.