Masimo Prevails in Apple Patent Infringement Case

An administrative law judge in Washington D.C., has ruled that certain Apple watches, starting with 2020’s Series 6 and continuing through current versions, infringe on pulse oximeter patents held by Masimo. The U.S. International Trade Commission will now consider whether to implement a ban on imports of the watches.

Masimo filed its complaint in 2020 when Apple released its pulse oximeter sensor in the Apple Watch Series 6 alleging stolen trade secrets and patent infringement of the Masimo heart rate and blood oxygen monitoring technology. In 2021, Masimo requested that the U.S. government stop allowing importation of Apple Watch models that violated its patents.

In October 2022, Apple countered and sued Masimo, alleging that Masimo had infringed on at least six Apple Watch patents with its new W1 smartwatch line, which monitors many of the same health metrics as the Apple Watch including oxygen level, pulse rate, pulse rate variability, heart rate, heart rate variability and respiration rate.