US import ban on Apple Watch 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 in effect

The US government is not going against the earlier ruling of the International Trade Commission in the patent dispute between Apple and Masimo. As a result, an import ban is in force in the US against both the Apple Watch 9 and the Apple Watch Ultra 2.

Apple has according to Reuters immediately appealed against the import ban. The American tech giant is going to a federal court and wants the ban to be temporarily revoked until the US customs authorities can check recent changes made by Apple to the smart watches. These customs services were expected to release their assessment on January 12.

The import ban comes after the medical company Masimo filed a lawsuit against Apple in 2020. Masimo accuses Apple of stealing trade secrets and violating patents by implementing the blood oxygen meter in the Apple Watch. A complaint followed in 2021 with the International Trade Commission. The US government agency concluded at the end of October that Apple had actually violated Masimo’s patents, after which a 60-day assessment procedure was launched, ending on December 26, 2023. The administration of US President Biden could veto the decision of the International Trade Commission during this period, but did not do so.

The trade ban only applies to the Apple Watch 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2. The Apple Watch SE, which does not contain a blood oxygen meter, will remain for sale in the United States.