WASHINGTON - Apple has defeated a bid by medtech company Masimo to reinstate an import ban on its Apple Watches, a U.S. trade tribunal ruled Friday.
The U.S. International Trade Commission closed Masimo's case after declining to review a preliminary ruling that Apple's redesigned watches do not infringe Masimo patents for blood-oxygen reading technology.
Apple stated, "We thank the ITC for its decision, which ensures we can continue to offer this important health feature to our users." The company added that Masimo has waged a "relentless legal campaign" for over six years, with most claims rejected.
The dispute began when Masimo accused Apple of hiring its employees to steal pulse-oximetry technology. The ITC had previously blocked imports of Apple's Series 9 and Ultra 2 smartwatches in December 2023 for patent infringement.
Apple subsequently removed blood-oxygen reading technology to avoid the ban, then reintroduced an updated version in August with approval from U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The updated watches display health data on associated Apple devices, rather than directly on the watch face.
Masimo has separate legal actions against U.S. Customs regarding the redesigned watches and has also sued Apple in California federal court for patent infringement and trade-secret theft, having won a $634 million verdict in a November patent trial that Apple intends to appeal.