Apple Watches dodge second import ban

Masimo's border ban on Apple Watches just collapsed. The U.S. International Trade Commission ruled that Apple’s redesigned smartwatches no longer infringe Masimo’s blood-oxygen patents and terminated the case, clearing the way for continued sales of the updated models. This follows Masimo’s long-running bid to curb Apple’s watch shipments in the wake of patent disputes dating back to 2021, and it hinges on a March preliminary ruling that Apple’s redesigned sensor tech doesn’t infringe Masimo’s IP.

In practical terms, the ITC decision means Apple can keep selling the updated Watches without facing a fresh import ban tied to Masimo’s biometric claims. Apple thanked the ITC, emphasizing that Masimo waged a relentless legal campaign and noting that “nearly all of its claims have been rejected.” Masimo, for its part, has signaled it will pursue options to challenge the ruling, including the possibility of an appeal. The agency’s termination of the case without reinstating the import ban marks a definitive turn in a battle that has stretched across multiple years and jurisdictions.

For consumers, the ruling offers stability: no forced disruption at the border, no sudden pull from shelves, and continued access to the redesigned blood-oxygen monitoring feature that Apple rolled out after the first patent dispute. From a product-design perspective, the decision underscores a familiar pattern in hardware battles: when a company can demonstrate a viable design workaround or software-embedded change that avoids infringement, it can preserve access to a feature without sacrificing the broader product strategy.

Two practitioner takeaways stand out. First, the ruling highlights how major consumers electronics players navigate patent risk through iterative redesigns rather than near-term litigation tolls. Apple’s shift to a redesigned sensor approach illustrates how a combination of hardware changes and software calibration can alter the competitive IP landscape without costing customers much in terms of price or usability. Second, the decision reinforces a critical supply-chain dynamic: when a case lingers over a product category, carriers and retailers grow wary of extrapolated bans, but a favorable ITC outcome like this reduces immediate regulatory risk and preserves shipments. For Masimo, the ruling preserves leverage but narrows it to ongoing litigation avenues, reminding tech IP holders that wins in court don’t always translate into long-term commercial control if a rival can craft a non-infringing alternative.

Looking ahead, the ITC’s termination reduces the likelihood of an abrupt supply shock tied to this dispute, at least in the near term. Masimo’s next move—whether another appeal or a broader attempt to bolster its own technology claims in other contexts—will be watched closely by wearable makers and IP practitioners. The episode also signals to competitors that the border may stay open for redesigned approaches to biometric sensing, even as patent disputes continue to shape the strategic calculus for who can claim and defend what in the fast-evolving world of health-facing wearables.

In sum, Apple preserves its redesigned watch lineup with no new import ban looming, Masimo preserves the option to challenge, and consumers get continuity in access to a sensor feature that remains central to the smartwatch experience.

Sources

Apple avoids a second import ban for its redesigned smartwatches in latest court ruling