Apple has temporarily regained the ability to sell its leading smartwatches in the U.S., following a decision by an appeals court on Wednesday to suspend an import ban.
This ban, originally issued by the U.S. International Trade Commission due to a patent infringement case involving medical monitoring technology, had impacted Apple’s products.
Prompted by the ITC’s ruling that Apple had violated patents held by Masimo, a firm based in Irvine, California, the tech giant made an urgent plea to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
The disputed patents relate to Apple Watches’ ability to measure blood-oxygen levels, a feature introduced with the Series 6 models in 2020.
Masimo alleges that Apple not only poached its employees but also misappropriated its pulse oximetry technology for use in the Apple Watches.
Apple, in turn, has filed a countersuit, dismissing Masimo’s legal claims as an attempt to pave the way for its own competing smartwatch.
The appeals court, in a brief four-paragraph decision, agreed to temporarily lift the ban while it reviews Apple’s request for a more extended suspension during the appeal process. The court has given the ITC until January 10 to respond to Apple’s appeal.
Despite the U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration deciding not to overturn the ban on Tuesday, the court’s decision comes as a relief for Apple, which sought an immediate suspension of the ban the following day.
In response to the legal challenge, Apple temporarily halted sales of its Series 9 and Ultra 2 smartwatches on its website and at its retail stores in the U.S. last week, although these models remained available through other retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, Costco, and Walmart.
The Apple Watch, along with other products like the AirPods earbuds, is part of Apple’s wearables, home, and accessories segment, which generated $8.28 billion in revenue in the third quarter of 2023, as per the company’s financial report.
