Tech Giants Clash Over Smartwatch Tech

A fresh legal battle is brewing in the tech world. The U. S. International Trade Commission (ITC) has decided to look into whether Apple's latest Apple Watches should be banned from import. This comes after a patent dispute with Masimo, a company specializing in medical monitoring tech. The ITC wants to check if Apple's redesigned watches, which were meant to get around an earlier ban, still use Masimo's patented blood-oxygen measurement tech. They aim to wrap up this investigation in about half a year. This isn't the first time Apple and Masimo have butted heads. Masimo claims Apple poached their employees to snag their pulse-oximetry innovations. In 2023, the ITC blocked imports of Apple's Series 9 and Ultra 2 watches for infringing on Masimo's patents. Apple then removed the blood-oxygen feature to avoid the ban but brought it back in August with a new design, approved by U. S. Customs. Masimo isn't happy about this approval and has sued Customs. Meanwhile, Apple is challenging the ITC's ban in a federal appeals court. On top of that, Masimo has sued Apple in California court, alleging patent infringement and trade-secret theft. A jury is currently deciding if Apple should pay up to $749 million in damages. In 2023, a California judge declared a mistrial in Masimo's trade-secret case against Apple. Apple, however, won a small victory in Delaware last year, with a jury awarding them $250 in a countersuit over Masimo's smartwatches. This back-and-forth highlights the intense competition and legal complexities in the tech industry. It's a reminder of how patent disputes can shape the market and impact consumers.