New Apple Watch Import Ban Considered In Patent Dispute

The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) has agreed to open a new proceeding to determine whether recently updated Apple Watch models should face another import ban. The review centers on allegations that Apple’s redesigned watches continue to infringe patents owned by Masimo, a company specializing in medical-monitoring technology.

The ITC’s decision follows an earlier import ban issued in 2023, which restricted the sale of the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 after the agency concluded that Apple had violated Masimo’s patents. These patents relate to pulse-oximetry technology used for measuring blood-oxygen levels. In response to the ban, Apple temporarily removed the blood-oxygen feature from its devices to comply with the ruling.

Apple later introduced updated watch models with a modified blood-oxygen system, which received approval from U.S. Customs and Border Protection earlier this year. Masimo challenged this approval, arguing that the redesigned feature still infringes on its intellectual property. The ITC has now agreed to investigate whether Apple’s new implementation represents a genuine workaround or continues to violate Masimo’s patent rights. The commission expects to complete its review within six months.

Apple has dismissed the complaint, describing it as an unfounded effort to block a key feature of its smartwatch lineup. The company has also accused Masimo of imitating the Apple Watch’s design to strengthen its claims. Masimo, meanwhile, argues that Apple improperly recruited its employees and misappropriated its proprietary medical-sensor technology.

The dispute is part of a broader and long-running legal conflict between the two companies, spanning multiple courts and agencies. Masimo is pursuing several lawsuits against Apple, including a patent infringement and trade-secret case in California. A previous trial on the trade-secret claims ended in mistrial in 2023 due to a deadlocked jury. Separately, a jury recently awarded Masimo $634 million in damages after determining that Apple had infringed one of its patents.

Apple has also filed countersuits. In a related case in Delaware, Apple secured a nominal $250 verdict in its claim that Masimo’s smartwatches infringe two Apple design patents.

The outcome of the ITC’s new investigation could significantly affect the availability of Apple Watch models in the U.S. market, depending on whether the commission concludes that Apple’s updated technology still violates Masimo’s patent rights. Both companies continue to contest various aspects of the dispute in federal courts, leaving the resolution of the broader conflict uncertain.

Filed in Apple >Gadgets. Read more about Apple and Apple Watch.