Apple vs. Masimo: iPhone manufacturer wins – but only 250 US dollars
Masimo has obtained an import ban for an Apple Watch feature in the USA. Apple sued back and won a Pyrrhic victory.
Woman with an Apple Watch: Masimo sues Apple, Apple sues back.
(Image: mpohodzhay / Shutterstock.com)
A new chapter has been added to the conflict between Apple and medical technology specialist Masimo: The iPhone manufacturer has won a counterclaim, albeit in the form of a barely noticeable victory. In a jury trial before a federal court in Delaware, Apple was only awarded the minimum amount possible for patent infringements: just 250 US dollars.
Little money, ban only for old devices
As a reminder: last year, Masimo succeeded in having a US import ban imposed on the Apple Watch because it allegedly infringed the company's patents in the field of blood oxygen measurement. The result was a brief withdrawal from the market, but after a few weeks the watch was available again, albeit without the disputed feature. (Europe is not affected by the dispute; the function can still be used here).
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Apple had also filed a lawsuit against Masimo – and two of the manufacturer's smartwatch models and their charging technology –. The "W1" and "Freedom" devices are said to have infringed Apple's own patents. This has now been confirmed by the jury in Delaware. However, they only awarded Apple the legally prescribed punitive damages. Apple's lawyers had previously informed the court that the lawsuit was "not about money", but about obtaining a sales ban. However, the devices are already no longer in Masimo's official range.
Masimo: Apple launches "retaliatory lawsuit"
Apple also wanted to have the newer devices banned, but was ultimately unsuccessful. Apple nevertheless said it was "pleased with the jury's decision to protect innovations that we are driving forward for our customers". A Masimo spokesperson said that Apple had primarily tried to have current products banned, so the jury verdict was "a victory for Masimo in this area".
Masimo had succeeded in convincing the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) to ban the import of the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 at the end of 2023. An appeal is currently underway. Apple filed a counterclaim in 2022 alleging that Masimo had copied Apple Watch functions for its own computer watches. Masimo stated that it was a "retaliatory lawsuit" and an "attempt to circumvent the court in which the parties have litigated". The other two proceedings are pending before the ITC and in California.
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