Technology
Wednesday, January 17th, 2024 8:18 pm EDT
Key Points
- Ban on Apple’s Watches with Blood Oxygen Sensors: A federal appeals court has reinstated a ban preventing Apple from selling watches equipped with blood oxygen sensors, effective from Thursday. This poses a significant setback for Apple and may impact its operations and sales.
- Potential Impact on Apple’s Operations and Sales: The article suggests that the ban could complicate Apple’s operations and weigh on its sales, emphasizing the potential challenges the company might face in adapting to the ban and maintaining its presence in the U.S. smartwatch market.
- Intellectual Property Dispute with Masimo: The ban stems from an intellectual property dispute between Apple and Masimo, a medical device company. The International Trade Commission had found in October that Apple’s blood oxygen sensors infringed on Masimo’s intellectual property. This legal conflict has led to a series of setbacks for Apple, including the removal of its latest Apple Watches from U.S. stores for several days in December.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has reinstated a ban on Apple’s sale of watches equipped with blood oxygen sensors, effective from Thursday. This decision could pose challenges to Apple’s operations and potentially impact its sales. The court lifted an interim stay that had permitted the resumption of sales for the Apple Watch 9 but refrained from reaching a conclusion on the merits of the appeal, leaving the possibility for an Apple victory in the future. The ban results from an intellectual property dispute with Masimo, a medical device company, with the International Trade Commission previously finding that Apple’s blood oxygen sensors infringed on Masimo’s intellectual property. In response to the ban, Apple had removed the latest Apple Watches from its U.S. stores for a few days in December. While recent court filings suggest that Apple obtained U.S. customs approval for a modified version of its Apple Watches without the blood oxygen feature, the company may need to adapt its devices to comply with the ban and continue selling in the U.S. market. Masimo’s allegations include claims of executive poaching and technology copying by Apple after a declined partnership. If Apple is compelled to keep its latest smartwatches out of U.S. stores, it could complicate device repairs at Apple stores, where broken devices are often replaced. As of now, Apple has not provided immediate comment on the denial.
For the full original article on CNBC, please click here: https://www.cnbc.com/2024/01/17/apple-again-banned-from-selling-watches-in-us-with-blood-oxygen-sensor.html
