A US court on Wednesday ordered Apple to halt the sale of its latest models of connected watches in the United States, as part of a dispute over patents with Masimo, a Californian manufacturer of medical devices.
The American International Trade Commission (ITC) recommended on October 27 to ban several models of the Apple Watch in the United States, the apple brand being accused by Masimo of copying its oxygen level detection technologies in the blood.
A court temporarily lifted the ban last month, but it is due to take effect again on Thursday, pending the outcome of Apple’s appeal.
Apple manufactures the vast majority of its products overseas, primarily in China, giving the ITC jurisdiction over this subject.
According to some media, Apple plans to remove for the moment the blood oxygen level detection system from the affected watches (Series 9 and Ultra 2), a solution that Masimo welcomed.
Wednesday’s legal decision “is a victory for the integrity of the American patent system and for the safety of people who rely” on this technology, responded Joe Kiani, founder and boss of Masimo, quoted in a press release.
“This shows that even the largest and most powerful companies must respect the intellectual property rights of American inventors,” he added.
Masimo claims to have invented this biometric measurement system and accuses Apple of having poached key employees to integrate it into its accessories.
But the iPhone maker maintains that the ITC’s conclusion is wrong and has appealed the decision. The wait could last a year or more.
Apple did not immediately respond to requests from AFP.
