Because of the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2, Apple is involved in a legal case in the United States. The US International Trade Commission (ITC) banned these smartwatches because they infringed patents held by the company Masimo, which developed a blood oxygen sensor. Masimo says Apple copied its technology and is trying to hire its workers.
However, Apple managed to temporarily suspend this ban by appealing to the US Court of Appeals. Apple says the ITC’s decision is unfair and harms public health and consumers, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Apple also claims it does not infringe Masimo’s blood oxygen sensor patents.
The workaround
Apple tried to solve the problem by disabling the pulse oximeter feature on its Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2. This means that the new watches sold in the United States could not track users’ blood oxygen levels.
The final decision
The US Court of Appeals has not yet issued a final decision on the suspension of the ban on the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2. Apple hopes the court will clear it, allowing the company to continue selling its watches with the pulse oximeter feature in the United States. Masimo hopes the court will uphold the ITC decision and forbid Apple from infringing its patents.
What do you think of this situation? Is Masimo trying to damage Apple, or did Apple copy Masimo? You can share your opinion in the comments section.
