Apple has reached a settlement in its legal battle with Masimo over the blood oxygen sensor in certain Apple Watch models. This comes after a recent court filing revealed that Apple has made changes to its Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 models to address the ongoing legal issues.
According to the filing by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, Apple has stated that its redesigned watch products definitively do not contain the pulse oximeter functionality. These changes currently apply to the models being sold in the U.S., allowing customers in other countries to continue enjoying the Blood Oxygen app featuring the pulse oximeter capability.
The legal tussle between Apple and Masimo Corporation dates back to January 2023, when Masimo filed a lawsuit against Apple for allegedly infringing its patent rights on the pulse oximeter technology. The developments over the past year have been closely watched by industry observers and consumers alike.
In October 2023, the U.S. President, Joe Biden, was given 60 days to review a ruling that called for a ban on Apple Watch imports. Subsequently, on December 18, 2023, Apple announced that it would suspend the sale of its Apple Watch Series 9 products, leading to a temporary halt in availability for consumers.
During the suspension, customers were unable to purchase the latest Apple Watch online or through Apple retail stores. However, the products were still available in third-party stores such as Amazon, at least until the inventory ran out.
The situation took a positive turn for Apple when, on December 27, 2023, the U.S. court called for the import ban to be lifted. This decision allowed Apple to resume the sale of new units to third-party stores and to start selling the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 in its own stores.
As per a report by MacRumors, the redesigned version of the Apple Watch is now being shipped to stores in the U.S. While the new Watches have been stripped of the pulse oximeter capability, existing owners of the Watches that do have the functionality can continue to use it.
In response to the recent developments, a spokesperson from Masimo commented, stating, “Apple’s claim that its redesigned watch does not contain pulse oximetry is a positive step toward accountability. It is especially important that one of the world’s largest and most powerful companies respects the intellectual property rights of smaller companies and complies with ITC orders when it is caught infringing.”
At the time of writing, Apple has not provided any public comments in response to the recent developments. Additionally, the company has not disclosed the exact date when the latest units will go on sale in stores.
In conclusion, the resolution of the legal dispute between Apple and Masimo marks an important step in the ongoing legal battle over the blood oxygen sensor technology. As both companies navigate the aftermath of the legal proceedings, it remains to be seen how the changes to the Apple Watch products will impact their availability and functionality for consumers.
Overall, the recent developments shed light on the complexities of intellectual property rights and patent infringement in the tech industry and serve as a reminder of the importance of legal compliance and accountability for companies of all sizes. Whether these developments will have further implications for Apple, Masimo, and the broader wearable technology market remains to be seen as the situation continues to unfold.
