In a recent development, a federal appeals court has rejected Apple’s plea to temporarily lift the ban on the import of advanced models of the Apple Watch. The ban, set to be reinstated on Thursday, is a result of a ruling by the US International Trade Commission (ITC) last month. This ruling prohibited Apple from importing the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2, among other newer models, as they were found to violate patents owned by another company. Apple had initially secured an interim pause on the ban, but Wednesday’s court ruling ensures the import restrictions will remain in place throughout the appeal process, which is expected to span several months.
Despite the setback, Apple has devised a workaround. The tech giant recently gained approval from US Customs and Border Protection to continue importing a redesigned version of its most advanced Apple watches. The catch is that these redesigned watches will omit the pulse oximeter function, a medical scanner technology measuring oxygen concentration in the blood—a feature at the heart of the patent dispute. Apple announced it will commence sales of the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 without the pulse oximeter feature, both in stores and online starting Thursday. Customers who have already purchased watches with this feature will not be affected, but the move signals Apple’s commitment to complying with the ruling while minimizing disruption for its users.
The import ban stems from an October ITC ruling that found the pulse oximeter feature in Apple’s advanced watch models to violate a patent held by California-based company Masimo. This decision meant Apple could no longer import the affected models to the United States, leading the company to swiftly appeal the ban. Despite initial challenges, Apple restarted sales of the watches after a temporary block by a federal appeals court allowed time for further consideration. However, with the temporary pause ending on Thursday, the tech giant is now forced to navigate the legal hurdles posed by the ITC ruling and continue its sales with the redesigned models lacking the contested pulse oximeter feature.
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