by
John R. Fischer, Senior Reporter | January 19, 2024
Apple has removed the blood oxygen feature from its Apple Watches while it appeals its case against Masimo.
In compliance with the International Trade Commission’s ban, Apple has announced that it will remove the controversial blood oxygen monitor feature in its Apple Watches as it moves forward with its appeal against Masimo’s claims of patent infringement.
As of January 18, the company’s Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 models sold on its website and stores will not contain the pulse oximetry capabilities. While the app icon for the component will still be included, should users tap on it they will receive a message that says te feature is unavailable. The decision does not affect existing Apple Watches or those sold outside the U.S.
Apple announced the removal a day after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit upheld the ITC ban, telling the company that it must refrain from selling models with the feature during the appeal process, which could last months,
according to Reuters.
In a statement, Apple said that it “strongly disagrees” with the ban and that it should be reversed.
Masimo founder and CEO Joe Kiani released his own statement, saying that the Federal Circuit’s decision to uphold the ban “affirms that even the largest and most powerful companies must respect the intellectual rights of American inventors and must deal with the consequences when they are caught infringing others’ patents.”
The company has included a pulse oximeter feature since the release of its Series 6 Apple Watch in 2020.
The same year, Masimo and its subsidiary, Cercacor Laboratories, filed a suit against Apple, alleging that the blood-oxygen sensor was developed using trade secrets from Masimo and that Apple poached its employees to learn about the technology and then filed patents for technologies that these employees helped develop.
Apple countersued, saying that Masimo’s legal actions are a "maneuver to clear a path" for its own competing watch. It also accused the company of stealing trade secrets from Apple for its W1 smartwatch, saying that it has outer design features and inner functions that look similar to the Apple Watch.
In January 2023, a judge ruled that Apple infringed on one of Masimo’s patents, leaving the decision of an import ban up to the U.S. International Trade Commission. In December, the commission upheld the ruling and
issued an import ban on Apple Watches in the U.S. that infringe on patents owned by Masimo.
