The ban comes after the US International Trade Commission ruled that Apple is infringing a pair of health technology patents and must stop selling the offending devices in the US. The affected models generate the vast majority of the company’s smartwatch revenue, which is estimated to be around $17 billion annually. Without a last-minute veto from the White House or a legal agreement with patent owner Masimo Corp., sales of the devices through Apple’s direct channels will end on December 21.
US medical technology company Masimo is suing Apple, claiming the Cupertino, California-based tech giant infringes on its patents related to measuring oxygen in the blood. It’s an Apple Watch feature introduced in 2020 with the Series 6 model that tells you how much oxygen is in your blood. The lawsuit ended without a decision, but on October 26 the commission still said that Apple was wrong and upheld both the import and sales bans in the United States. The decision began a 60-day review period during which the White House can veto the decision. However, this did not happen, and the White House statement referred the matter to the United States Trade Representative for further processing.
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2023-12-20 11:58:00
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