On Tuesday, Apple made an appeal against the decision to ban imports of Apple Watches. This ban was based on a complaint filed by medical monitoring technology company Masimo. The U.S. President, Joe Biden’s administration, chose not to veto the decision made by a government tribunal.
Additionally, Apple filed an emergency request with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Their aim was to halt the ban temporarily. Apple requested a pause on the ban until U.S. Customs and Border Protection determines whether the redesigned versions of their watches infringe Masimo’s patents. They also sought to put the ban on hold while the court considers their request. Apple stated that the customs office is expected to make its decision on January 12.
Masimo has accused Apple of hiring its employees, stealing its pulse oximetry technology, and incorporating it into their popular Apple Watch.
The ban issued by the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) applies to imports and sales of Apple Watches that utilize technology for reading blood-oxygen levels. Apple introduced the pulse oximeter feature in their smartwatches starting with the Series 6 model in 2020.
The U.S. Trade Representative, Katherine Tai, made the decision to uphold the ban after careful consultations. The ITC’s ruling became final on December 26, as confirmed by the Trade Representative’s office on Tuesday.
Apple expressed strong disagreement with the decision made by the USITC and the resulting exclusion order. They are taking all necessary steps to return the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 to customers in the U.S. as soon as possible, according to a statement provided to CNBC by an Apple spokesperson.
Source (CNBC)
