A federal jury in California has delivered a significant verdict in the complex legal war between Apple and medical technology firm Masimo. The jury found that Apple infringed upon a Masimo patent for technology used to track blood-oxygen levels, ordering the tech giant to pay 314 million dollars in damages. This ruling represents a notable development in a dispute that has already impacted the availability of Apple Watches in the US market. The core of this particular lawsuit was whether Apple utilized Masimo’s patented blood-oxygen sensor technology within its popular Apple Watch. The jury concluded that the infringement was evident within the functionality of the Watch’s Workout and Heart Rate applications. This patent is a key asset for Masimo, a company renowned for its professional patient monitoring systems. Apple has expressed strong disagreement with the jury’s decision. The company stated that the patent in question had already expired in 2022 and argued that the technology is specific to historic patient monitoring devices from decades ago, not modern consumer wearables. Apple has confirmed it plans to appeal the verdict. Despite this ruling, the broader legal conflict is far from over. This case is just one thread in a larger web of litigation between the two companies. The friction began when Masimo initially accused Apple of infringing on its pulse oximeter patents. That earlier dispute led to Apple temporarily halting sales of its Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 models in the United States. In response to that sales ban, Apple redesigned the blood-oxygen monitoring feature on its watches. This redesigned version was subsequently approved by the US Customs and Border Protection agency, allowing sales of the updated Series 9, Series 10, and Ultra 2 watches to resume. However, Masimo challenged this move as well, filing a separate lawsuit against the customs agency. Masimo alleges the agency overstepped its authority by permitting the sale of the modified Apple Watches without seeking Masimo’s input on the changes. The 314 million dollar judgment is a substantial win for Masimo in this ongoing battle, but with Apple’s planned appeal and multiple other active lawsuits, a final resolution to the multi-front legal war is still on the horizon.
