Apple has been forced to stop selling the Apple Watch in the US due to a patent infringement lawsuit.
Is the U.S. banning Apple watches?
Sales of its Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 will be banned online starting on December 21 and from Apple retail locations after December 24.
The move comes after an order in October from the International Trade Commission (ITC) that could bar Apple from importing its Apple Watches after finding the devices violate medical technology company Masimo’s patent rights.
What the court ruling means
The ruling means Apple must stop selling watches on Christmas except for the SE model.
‘Apple strongly disagrees with the order and is pursuing a range of legal and technical options to ensure that Apple Watch is available to customers,’ the company told The Wall Street Journal.
Why is there a Apple Watch ban?
The lawsuit stems from Apple implementing technology that measures blood oxygen on demand.
Blood oxygen level represents the percentage of oxygen your red blood cells carry from your lungs to the rest of your body.
A healthy blood oxygen level is 95 and 100 percent- anything below puts people at risk of hypoxemia, which causes confusion, bluish skin, and changes in breath and heart rate.
Apple implemented a pulse oximeter in its smartwatches starting in 2020.
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Masimo filed its complaint in 2021, claiming the tech giant used its medical innovation for its Apple Watches.
ITC & Apple updates
The ITC issued Apple a cease and desist in October due to the lawsuit while it conducted an investigation, which the group upheld.
Joe Kiani, Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Masimo, said in October: ‘[The] ruling by the USITC sends a powerful message that even the world’s largest company is not above the law.
‘This important determination is a strong validation of our efforts to hold Apple accountable for unlawfully misappropriating our patented technology.’
