In a recent development, Apple has decided to temporarily halt the sale of two of its newest Apple Watch models in the United States. This decision comes as a result of an ongoing intellectual property dispute over the Blood Oxygen feature. The dispute involves Masimo, a leading medical technology company, and has led to two orders being issued by the U.S. International Trade Commission on October 26th.
To comply with the orders and avoid any potential legal consequences, Apple has announced that online sales of the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 will be paused starting this Thursday at 3 p.m. In-store sales of these watches will cease after Sunday. It is worth noting that existing U.S. customers will not be affected and will continue to have access to the products.
Under the first order issued by the U.S. International Trade Commission, Apple and its affiliates will be prohibited from importing watches that utilize the Blood Oxygen feature, as well as the materials required for the feature’s implementation. The second order, a cease and desist, instructs Apple to stop selling the products that use the Blood Oxygen feature altogether.
Although the White House has a 60-day window to review the restrictions, Apple has decided to initiate the sales pause early to ensure compliance with the order if the ruling is upheld by the ITC. Apple’s stock closed down slightly by less than 1% on Monday, while Masimo saw an increase of just over 3%.
Apple has expressed its intention to take all necessary measures to resume the sales of the affected watches as soon as possible in the event that the ITC’s decision stands. The company remains committed to resolving the intellectual property dispute and providing its customers with innovative and reliable products.
Source (CNBC)
