President Joe Biden’s decision to not intervene in a patent infringement case has cast doubts on the future of Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2. The US International Trade Commission (ITC) has ruled that Apple cannot sell these popular smartwatches and other newer models due to patent violations held by medical device maker Masimo. As a result, Apple has already removed these watches from its online and physical stores.
While the ITC ruling has not affected retailers like Amazon and Best Buy, who are still selling their remaining stock of Apple Watches, Apple is now prohibited from importing more smartwatches to the United States. This could potentially impact Apple’s dominant market position. The ban specifically targets the Apple Watch Series 6 and later models, as well as all models of the Apple Watch Ultra.
Apple has marketed its smartwatch as a life-saving device, contributing to its global popularity. However, this ongoing legal dispute with Masimo puts that reputation at risk. Although Apple disagrees with the ruling and intends to explore legal and technical solutions to ensure availability to customers, implementing the necessary software tweaks may take time. Furthermore, there is no guarantee that the ITC will accept the proposed solution.
Joe Kiani, the CEO of Masimo, accuses Apple of intentionally infringing on his company’s patents. This conflict arose when Apple filed patent infringement lawsuits against Masimo in October 2022.
Although President Biden chose not to intervene in the case, there is a precedent for a US President overturning an ITC ruling. In 2013, President Barack Obama vetoed a ban on older iPhones and iPads following an ITC determination that Apple had violated one of Samsung’s patents.
The ongoing battle between Apple and Masimo highlights the challenges companies face in protecting their intellectual property rights in the fiercely competitive technology market. As the legal proceedings continue, it remains uncertain how this will affect the availability and future development of the Apple Watch.
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The source of the article is from the blog be3.sk