An appeals court has suspended proceedings one day after an Apple Watch import ban went into effect in the United States. A day earlier, Apple filed an emergency request with the U.S. Court of Appeals.
The suspension will remain in effect until further action is taken by the court. However, the Apple Watch Series 9 and Watch Ultra 2 are still not available for purchase on the company’s website, nearly a week after they were initially removed.
The fight centers on Southern California health tech company Masimo’s claim that Apple infringes both trademarks on its pulse oximeter sensor for wearable devices. Masimo also accused Apple of poaching Masimo employees to make the blood oxygen sensor, which was first launched with the Watch Series 6 in 2020.
Apple has not yet responded to TechCrunch’s request for comment on this latest update, but the hardware giant has firmly denied infringing on Masimo’s intellectual property rights. After the Biden administration yesterday refused to overturn the International Trade Commission’s October ruling, Apple noted: “We strongly disagree with the USITC’s decision and the resulting exclusion order and are taking every step to remove Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 Return to the consumer.” Come to the United States as soon as possible. “
At the same time, Massimo positions the battle as David versus Goliath. In October, founder and CEO Joe Kiani stated: “Today’s ruling by the U.S. International Trade Commission sends a powerful message that even the world’s largest companies are not above the law. . This important decision is a strong demonstration of our efforts to hold Apple accountable for illegal misappropriation of our patented technology.”
Masimo hinted that it might be willing to pay Apple to license the technology, although the latter is currently more interested in exploring all legal avenues.
