A recent legal battle between medical device manufacturer Masimo and tech giant Apple has taken an intriguing turn. Masimo, who initially filed a lawsuit against Apple over a single feature on the Apple Watch, has now secured a favorable outcome in a similar case against a startup called True Wearables. The court has ruled in Masimo’s favor and issued a permanent injunction against the sale of True Wearables’ device.
The parallel between Masimo’s cases against True Wearables and Apple is quite remarkable. Marcelo Lamego, the founder and CEO of True Wearables, had previously worked for both Masimo and Apple. Masimo argues that certain technologies incorporated in the Apple Watch could not have been developed without Lamego’s assistance, as he had access to highly confidential technical information and closely collaborated with the team responsible for creating vital sign monitors.
Lamego played a significant role in the development of health-related patents while working at Apple, specifically on the Apple Watch project. However, he left the company shortly after joining, citing disagreements with management. After his departure, Lamego founded his own company, True Wearables, which Masimo claims utilized their technology when creating its own pulse oximeter.
Masimo is now striving to gain ownership of the health-related patents that Lamego developed while at Apple. The company argues that Lamego had an obligation to assign these patents to Masimo. On the other hand, Apple maintains that Lamego and other former Masimo employees it hired were not involved in creating the products and features under dispute.
While Masimo has achieved a victory against True Wearables, their legal battle with Apple is still ongoing. The International Trade Commission ruled that certain Apple Watch models infringed on Masimo’s patents and issued an import ban. However, Apple has appealed the decision and obtained a temporary pause on the ban.
According to Masimo CEO Joe Kiani, he believes that Apple intentionally infringed their intellectual property, describing it as “a deliberate taking of our intellectual property.” The outcome of the legal battle between Masimo and Apple will have significant consequences for both companies and may potentially set a precedent for future disputes within the wearable technology industry.
The source of the article is from the blog dk1250.com