For several years, Apple and
Masimo have been engaged in a fierce legal battle over a technology that has become central to the health uses of smartwatches:
oximetry .
And after reviving the issue in 2023 , the verdict delivered in California marks a new stage in this duel that is shaping the future of biometric sensors integrated into consumer devices…
Masimo wins his case after five years of conflict
As reported by Reuters , a federal jury in California ordered Apple to pay $634 million to Masimo on November 14th. The medical device manufacturer had accused Apple of infringing one of its patents related to measuring blood oxygen levels.
According to documents presented at the trial, this patent was allegedly infringed through several Apple Watch features , including workout mode and heart rate alerts. Masimo argued that these capabilities allowed the watch to fall within the scope of a protected technology.
This conflict originated in 2020 when Masimo accused Apple of recruiting some of its employees to access internal information. Since then, the confrontation has spilled over into several legal battles, even leading to an import ban on the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 in the United States.
To comply with the ITC (International Trade Commission) decision, Apple had in fact deactivated the pulse oximeter on models sold across the Atlantic, before introducing a revised version of the technology last August, with the approval of US customs…
An expired patent… but lasting consequences
The patent at the heart of the dispute expired in 2022, but the verdict covers the period 2020-2022 and concerns 43 million smartwatches sold.
Masimo describes this ruling as a ” significant victory ” in its efforts to protect its innovations, but Apple, for its part, strongly contests the decision and will appeal.
The company defends itself by pointing out that the majority of patents invoked by Masimo in other proceedings have been invalidated , and emphasizes that its watch does not perform continuous monitoring, as strictly medical devices would.
Meanwhile, a new procedure has been opened by the ITC to determine whether the updated version of the oximeter should also be subject to a ban similar to that of 2023 .
This case adds to the multiple legal battles between the two groups, as a previous lawsuit over trade secrets resulted in a dismissal in 2023, while Apple briefly won a minor ruling in 2024, with a symbolic $250 award for infringing two of its patents…