Apple has appealed to the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, contending that the decision by the US International Trade Commission (ITC) to ban certain imports of Apple Watches was predicated on a “series of substantively defective patent rulings.” Additionally, Apple argued that Masimo, the medical-monitoring technology company with which it is in dispute, failed to demonstrate investment in competing US products that would justify the import ban.
Representatives for both Apple and Masimo have not immediately responded to requests for comment on the filing.
Masimo, headquartered in Irvine, California, has accused Apple of poaching its employees and appropriating its pulse oximetry technology following discussions about potential collaboration. Apple introduced pulse oximetry to its Series 6 Apple Watches in 2020.
Masimo successfully persuaded the ITC on December 26 to block imports of Apple’s latest Series 9 and Ultra 2 smartwatches after asserting that their blood-oxygen level reading technology infringed upon Masimo’s patents.
Following a temporary lift of the ban by the Federal Circuit, Apple reinstated pulse oximetry capabilities in January. However, to comply with the ongoing appeal process, Apple removed pulse oximetry functionality from watches sold during that time, which Apple anticipated could last at least a year.
