Multiple iterations of the Apple Watch are not currently under a threat of an import ban into the United States, as per a new ruling by the US-based International Trade Commission (ITC) in what appears to be a satisfactory end - for now - on the part of Apple to a long-standing patent dispute with the medical-monitoring company, Masimo.
The blood oxygen measurement workaround that the Apple Watch uses does not infringe on the patents held by Masimo, as per the preliminary ruling by a US-based tribunal
For the benefit of those who might not be aware, back in 2023, the ITC had issued an order to block the import of the Series 9 and Ultra 2 Apple Watches into the US for violating Masimo's pulse-oximetry patents.
In response, Apple first removed the blood oxygen measurement functionality from the pertinent iterations of its Apple Watch to avoid the import ban and then, to circumvent Masimo's patents which specifically covered "user-worn devices," Apple offloaded blood oxygen measurements to the paired iPhone in August 2025, ensuring that the results were only displayed within the Apple Health app on the iPhone instead of the Apple Watch.
This workaround was cleared by the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), prompting Masimo to sue the agency, while concurrently asking the ITC to reevaluate whether Apple's solution violated the original import ban.
This brings us to the core of today's topic. In its preliminary ruling, the ITC appears to have sided with Apple by noting that the workaround does not infringe on Masimo's blood oxygen measurement patents. Do note, however, that the full commission will now have to decide whether to uphold this preliminary ruling or strike it down.
About the author: Writing is my one incontrovertible passion. Over the past six years, he has authored over 2,200 distinct articles on financial and tech-related topics, spanning nearly 1 million words. And he has been a member of Wcctech mobile team since 2025. As an alumnus of the University of Toronto, Rotman Commerce Program, I bring nuance, in-depth knowledge, and a unique perspective to every topic that I cover. When I'm not writing, I'm traveling the world, exploring hidden confectionaries and restaurants as an aspiring food connoisseur.
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