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Apple has been awarded a paltry sum of $250 in damages after a US court ruled that wearable technology rival Masimo infringed on two of its smartwatch design patents. However, Apple has failed in its larger attempt to find a means to overturn the ban on its blood oxygen function in the US.
As reported by ReutersApple has sued Masimo over its W1 and Freedom smartwatches, models that Apple claims deliberately infringe its patented smartwatch designs. It’s part of a much larger intellectual property row between the companies, which ultimately led to a ban on the Blood Oxygen Function, which can no longer be shipped by road. best Apple Watches in the US as a result.
New models sold in the US, including the Apple Watch Series 10 And Apple Watch Ultra 2come without the blood oxygen function due to an International Trade Commission ruling, which found that Apple’s proprietary blood oxygen technology infringed on Masimo patents.
While Apple’s latest ruling is a check in the win column, the lawsuit actually had nothing to do with the niche smartwatches Masimo sells, and everything to do with Apple’s attempt to overturn that ban. Therefore, the case has not been a success for Apple, and is bad news for customers who continue to miss out on the important health feature.
Blood Oxygen on Apple Watch – Still in Limbo
The Series 10 in the US continues to ship without blood oxygen monitoring. (Image credit: Future)
As noted by Florian Mueller of IP Fraya leading patent litigation expert, Apple’s most recent case against Masimo “was never about Masimo competing with Apple in the smartwatch market.” The company sells a negligible number of smartwatches and only sells them domestically to comply with ITC regulations.
As Mueller explains, “What Apple really wanted was either to obtain an injunction so that it would have an argument for lifting Masimo’s import ban, or at the very least a legal battle over whether Apple would obtain an injunction.”
Apple hoped its recent design lawsuit would have given the company ammunition to go back to court to help get an injunction to overturn the agreement. Apple Watch blood oxygen ban.
Without that ruling, Apple’s options to overturn the ban remain limited. However, there is still some hope. As reported earlier this month, Masimo has a new CEO, and that could open the door for a deal between the two companies.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports thisprevious CEO Joe Kiani was an outspoken critic of Apple, suggesting the new CEO could be friendlier. With no legal reprieve in sight for Apple, a licensing deal between the two companies could be the only way blood oxygen returns to the Apple Watch in the US.