Apple to Pay $634 Million After Patent Ruling Favoring Masimo

Post by : Bianca Suleiman

In a significant legal blow, a federal jury in California has determined that Apple must compensate Masimo, a firm specializing in medical monitoring, to the tune of $634 million for infringing upon a patent associated with blood-oxygen measurement technology. The case specifically involved features of the Apple Watch, such as workout modes and heart rate alerts, which were deemed to violate Masimo's patent rights.

Apple has expressed strong reservations regarding the ruling and intends to file an appeal, while Masimo has characterized the decision as a crucial victory in the fight to protect its intellectual property.

This legal dispute is part of a broader conflict between the California-based Masimo and Apple, where allegations have emerged that Apple hired Masimo employees and integrated their pulse oximetry technology within its devices without proper authorization. Earlier, the U.S. trade tribunal banned imports of Apple’s Series 9 and Ultra 2 smartwatches in 2023, which led Apple to temporarily disable the blood-oxygen feature, before reintroducing it after obtaining clearance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) is now engaged in a new proceeding to assess whether the latest versions of Apple’s watches should be subject to the import restriction. Meanwhile, Masimo is pursuing legal actions against Customs regarding this decision, while Apple is contesting the ban at a federal appeals level.

This ruling adds another layer to an ongoing legal saga characterized by frequent clashes between Apple and Masimo. Earlier in 2023, a California case involving trade secrets ended in a mistrial, and last year, Apple won a mere $250 verdict related to design patent disputes in Delaware.

This verdict underlines the escalating tensions at the nexus of wearable tech and medical advancements, indicating that the intellectual property disputes within the technology domain are becoming increasingly prominent.