Apple has announced that it will suspend the sale of its Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 models to online customers in the United States, starting from Thursday afternoon, and later in its stores from Sunday. The temporary suspension of sales is a result of an intellectual property dispute with a medical technology company, Masimo. The International Trade Commission’s (ITC) decision in October ordered a ban on the sale of Apple Watches equipped with the blood oxygen level measurement feature.
Apple had the option to continue selling the affected models until the end of the review period, allowing for sales before the Christmas holidays, but the company chose to comply with the ITC’s decision earlier than necessary. The White House is closely monitoring the situation, and Katherine Tai, the United States’ trade representative, is considering all factors before making a final decision.
The sales suspension during the holiday season could result in significant financial losses for Apple, estimated at around $300-400 million. However, the impact on Apple’s stock value has been minimal, and prices remain close to their record high. Apple has expressed its commitment to resume sales of the Series 9 and Ultra 2 models in the United States as soon as possible. In the meantime, the Apple Watch SE, which does not have the blood oxygen level measurement feature, will still be available. It is also worth noting that previously purchased Apple Watches with the ability to measure blood oxygen levels are not affected by the ITC’s decision.
This is not the first patent-related challenge that Apple has faced regarding the Apple Watch. In a previous ITC case, it was ruled that Apple infringed on the wearable electrocardiogram technology of AliveCor. However, this decision did not have a direct impact on the sales of Apple Watches, as another regulatory body determined that the discussed technology was not patentable. The legal battle between AliveCor and Apple is still ongoing.
The source of the article is from the blog macnifico.pt