Apple has been ordered to pay medical-monitoring technology company Masimo a whopping $634 million by a federal jury in California for infringing on a patent related to blood-oxygen reading technology. The jury sided with Masimo, stating that Apple’s workout mode and heart rate notification features on the Apple Watch violated Masimo’s patent rights.
In response to the verdict, an Apple spokesperson expressed disagreement and stated that the company plans to appeal the decision. The spokesperson highlighted that Masimo has previously filed multiple lawsuits against Apple, with many patents being deemed invalid. They also noted that the specific patent in question expired in 2022 and pertains to outdated patient monitoring technology.
Masimo, on the other hand, hailed the jury’s decision as a significant victory in their ongoing efforts to safeguard their innovations and intellectual property. The legal battle between Apple and Masimo extends beyond this California lawsuit, with Masimo accusing Apple of poaching employees and misappropriating pulse oximetry technology for use in Apple Watches.
This dispute led to a trade tribunal halting imports of Apple’s Series 9 and Ultra 2 smartwatches in 2023 after determining that Apple had infringed upon Masimo’s patents. Apple subsequently removed the blood-oxygen reading technology from its watches to comply with the ban and later reintroduced an updated version of the technology with clearance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
In a separate development, the International Trade Commission (ITC) announced a new proceeding to assess whether Apple’s revised watches should be subject to the import ban. Masimo has initiated legal action against Customs over this decision, while Apple has challenged the import ban at a federal appeals court.
In a related lawsuit, a California judge declared a mistrial in Masimo’s trade-secret case against Apple in 2023 due to a hung jury. Additionally, Apple emerged victorious in a minor $250 verdict against Masimo in Delaware last year concerning allegations of patent infringement related to Masimo’s smartwatches.
This comprehensive legal saga underscores the fierce competition and high stakes in the tech industry, where companies fiercely defend their intellectual property rights. The outcome of these legal battles will undoubtedly shape the future landscape of wearable technology and patent law.
(Reporting by Blake Brittain in Washington; Editing by Rod Nickel and Andrea Ricci)
