Apple Seeks U.S. Court of Appeals to Overturn Smartwatch Sales Ban; Masimo Attorney Claims Apple is Attempting to ‘Rewrite the Law’ on Blood-Oxygen Sensors

The ongoing legal battle between Apple and Masimo over alleged patent infringement has entered a new phase. Recently, Apple has appealed to the U. S.Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, seeking to overturn a prior ruling that prohibited the sale of its smartwatches featuring blood-oxygen monitoring technology. This situation arose after a decision by the United States International Trade Commission (ITC), which concluded that certain Apple Watch models infringed upon patents held by Masimo.

Masimo’s Device is Undeveloped, Leading Judges to Question the ITC Decision

In the courtroom session, Apple’s legal representative, Joseph Mueller from WilmerHale, emphasized that the ITC’s decision has adversely impacted millions of users who rely on the health monitoring capabilities of the Apple Watch. In contrast, Masimo’s attorney, Joseph Re from Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear, asserted that Apple’s arguments reflect an attempt to ‘rewrite the law.’ According to reports from Reuters, the panel of judges expressed skepticism about whether Masimo’s lack of a market-ready competing product warranted the ban imposed on Apple Watches.

Apple contends that the ITC ruling was unfounded, citing that Masimo’s technology has not advanced beyond a “hypothetical” device. For context, the initial Apple Watch model featuring a blood-oxygen sensor made its debut in 2020, while Masimo launched its comparable device in 2022. It’s noteworthy that Masimo has invested approximately $100 million in its legal efforts against Apple, successfully enforcing restrictions on the sale of certain smartwatches or disabling the related functionality altogether.

During the appeal, Apple pointed out that when Masimo filed the patent infringement complaint with the ITC, it did not possess a commercially available product equipped with its blood-oxygen sensor. There may be potential for both companies to negotiate a resolution that reinstates the feature without necessitating a licensing agreement, despite Apple CEO Tim Cook’s public stance against acquiring any rights to Masimo’s patents. It’s relevant to mention that in 2024, Masimo faced internal turmoil with shareholder-driven leadership changes resulting in the removal of CEO Joe Kiani.

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