Apple halts US sales of Watch before Christmas after losing patent case

Author: Tim Bradshaw Source: Financial Times

December 18, 2023 at 20:48

An Apple Watch Ultra 2. Apple will halt sales on its website on December 21 and in its stores after December 24 © Ming Yeung/Getty Images

US judge finds that blood oxygen sensor on latest timepieces infringes patents of medical equipment maker Masimo

Apple will stop selling its smartwatches through the company’s own US stores before Christmas after losing a patent infringement case, dealing it a blow during the holiday sales season.

The iPhone maker said it would “pre-emptively” halt US sales of two of its latest Apple Watch models, the Series 9 and Ultra 2, on December 21 through its own website and after December 24 in physical stores.

The move comes after the US International Trade Commission issued a “limited exclusion order” against the products in October, threatening a ban on imports of the devices.

A US judge found in January that a headline feature of Apple’s latest watches, a blood oxygen sensor, infringed patents owned by medical device maker Masimo. Apple is appealing against the ITC ruling as it awaits the outcome of a presidential review by Joe Biden, who has the power to veto the ban.

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