The legal battle between Masimo and Apple over the blood oxygen feature in the Apple Watch has reached a new level, with Masimo filing a lawsuit against the US Customs and Border Protection agency. The dispute stems from Customs' decision to allow Apple to import watches with blood-oxygen reading capabilities despite an ongoing patent dispute between the two companies.
Masimo argues that Customs reversed a previous ruling without notice, permitting Apple to bring back pulse oximetry technology in its watches. This move comes after the US International Trade Commission sided with Masimo in late 2023, leading to Customs blocking Apple from selling watches with the disputed feature enabled. Apple has since released software updates to enable the feature by processing blood oxygen readings on the paired iPhone instead of the watch itself.
Now, Masimo is seeking to overturn Customs' decision and maintain the block on Apple Watches containing the disputed technology. The company claims that Customs' approval was issued without proper justification and undermines Masimo's legal protections. The legal battle continues, with both companies vying for control over the innovative blood oxygen monitoring feature in the Apple Watch.
