U.S. Agency Recommends Import Ban on Certain Apple Watches Amid Patent Dispute”

A U.S. regulatory body has recommended a ban on importing certain models of Apple smartwatches into the United States following allegations by medical device manufacturer Masimo that Apple copied its patented technology for measuring blood oxygen levels.

Masimo, based in California, clarified in a statement that the U.S. International Trade Commission issued a “limited exclusion order” for these specific Apple Watch models. This order is slated to become effective within 60 days unless the U.S. government lodges an objection.

The statement did not specify which Apple Watch models are affected. Masimo had previously filed a complaint against Apple with the U.S. International Trade Commission in 2021, claiming that the Apple Watch Series 6 replicated one of its patented technologies based on light.

The Apple Watch Series 6, introduced in 2020, was the first model to feature a capability for measuring blood oxygen saturation levels.

Joe Kiani, CEO of Masimo, interpreted the U.S. International Trade Commission’s decision as a “strong message that the law prevails even over the world’s largest company.”

In response, Apple announced its intention to challenge the decision before the federal court.

According to Agence France-Presse (AFP), the group accused Masimo of “inappropriately trying to use the U.S. International Trade Commission to block millions of American consumers from getting a product that may save their lives, in an attempt to clear the way for its own competing watch.”

Although Apple’s products, including smartwatches, are designed in the United States, they are manufactured by contractors, with the primary one being the Taiwanese company Foxconn, located in China, Taiwan, or Vietnam.

Apple unveiled the ninth edition of its smartwatch in September of the previous year.