The Blubber

Apple, $AAPL, must stop selling watches with blood oxygen feature after U.S. Appeals Court reinstates ban on Jan 18, per Bloomberg.


Wednesday's court order didn't make a definitive ruling on Apple's attempt to overturn the U.S. International Trade Commission's ban on selling specific watches in the U.S. However, it did remove an injunction that had prevented the ban's enforcement while Apple's appeal is ongoing.

This ban is a result of an ongoing intellectual property dispute between Apple and Masimo, a medical device company. The International Trade Commission found in October that Apple's blood oxygen sensors had violated Masimo's intellectual property rights.

During Wednesday's afternoon trading, Apple's shares experienced a slight decline.

The ban restricts Apple from importing the affected devices, including the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2. In December, Apple temporarily removed these watches from its online and physical stores. However, retailers with existing stock of these devices are still allowed to sell them.

Recent court documents hinted that Apple had secured approval from U.S. Customs for a modified version of its Apple Watches, eliminating the blood oxygen feature and addressing the intellectual property concerns. This development might pave the way for a modified Apple Watch to return to U.S. shelves. Apple declined to comment on the Customs decision earlier this week.

Masimo had accused Apple of hiring away key executives and replicating its technology after a proposed partnership was declined.

Joe Kiani, CEO of Masimo, expressed openness to reaching a settlement with Apple during a CNBC interview last month.

If Apple continues to keep its latest smartwatches off U.S. store shelves, it could complicate the repair process at Apple stores, where broken devices are often replaced.