Apple defends against Masimo's lawsuit over the pulse oximeter on the Apple Watch, but the dispute continues

The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) rejected Masimo’s lawsuit against Apple

The Federal International Trade Court (ITC) ruled to deny preliminary hearings on a new claim by Masimo, which accuses Apple of infringing intellectual property rights. The complaint is that Apple Watch smartwatches with pulse oximetry use technology protected by Masimo patents.

Key points of the ITC ruling

* Denial of the lawsuit – The court found that Apple has no grounds to violate Masimo’s rights.
* Software changes – After an initial import ban on models with a pulse oximeter, Apple had to change how oxygen is measured: readings are now displayed on a paired iPhone instead of directly on the watch.
* Impact of the decision – This ruling lifts restrictions imposed in 2023 and allows importation of Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 with the updated feature.

What next

The ITC must ultimately approve this decision at its full meeting. Meanwhile, the U.S. Federal Appeals Court has maintained the earlier order banning imports of watches with a pulse oximeter, keeping Apple under pressure for further litigation.

Reactions from the parties

* Apple – Praised the ITC ruling and said it is ready to seek ways to overturn the appellate court’s decision. Company leadership claims that over six years Masimo filed numerous lawsuits with “false” accusations, most of which were dismissed in various courts.
* Masimo – Remains awaiting further review of the case and continues to defend its patents.

Historical context

Until August last year, Apple had software‑blocked the pulse oximeter feature on all models shipped to the U.S. After a review, customs clearance was approved. In November 2023, a California state court found Apple guilty of stealing Masimo’s intellectual property and ordered it to pay $634 million, but Apple intends to appeal that verdict.

Thus, the ITC decision temporarily lifts import restrictions on watches with pulse oximeters, but the dispute between the two companies remains unresolved.