After I first heard in regards to the potential Apple Watch import ban in early February, because of The Hill, I believed, “There’s no way that one of the most popular smartwatches on the planet would get barred.”
Even The Verge was skeptical: “Given the Apple Watch’s popularity and the size of Apple’s coffers, it’ll be surprising if an import ban actually materializes,” including that it is extra seemingly that Masimo, the medical-tech firm that sued Apple, will stroll away with a licensing settlement.
However right here we’re. It is the tip of 2023, and Apple acquired banned from promoting and importing its newest wearables: Apple Watch Sequence 9 and Apple Watch Extremely 2. After which the mandate acquired reversed briefly — yeah, I do know. It is complicated.
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However the query is, how did we get right here?
Apple Watch Sequence 9 vs. Apple Watch Extremely 2: What are the variations?
7 main occasions that led to the Apple Watch ban
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Jan. 2020. Masimo first sued Apple, in response to Bloomberg. The med-tech firm accused Apple of promising a partnership (each firms reportedly met in 2013 to debate a working relationship) — solely to show its again on Masimo by stealing commerce secrets and techniques and hiring key workers.
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Sept. 2020. Apple launched the Watch Sequence 6, which boasted a brand new blood-oxygen monitoring function, a expertise Masimo claims Apple stole from the med-tech firm.
In the identical month, Masimo accused Apple of making an attempt to delay and postpone the authorized battle. For background, by this time, Apple already filed requests to dismiss the commerce secrets and techniques accusation and filed petitions to have Masimo’s patents invalidated by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Workplace.
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June 2021. Masimo filed a criticism to the U.S. Worldwide Commerce Fee (ITC), hoping that it will pull the Apple Watch from the market. Briefly, the criticism claims that Apple infringed upon a number of patents by releasing a watch that may measure arterial oxygen saturation.
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Oct. 2022. Apple sued Masimo, claiming that its W1 line of smartwatches replicates its wearable gadgets. Nonetheless, in response to Reuters, Masimo stated in a press release that the lawsuit is “retaliatory.”
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Oct. 2023. The ITC dominated in favor of Masimo, stating that Apple did, certainly, violate Masimo’s patents that protected its blood-oxygen monitoring innovations. The ITC issued an import ban, taking impact on Dec. 26, on the gadgets that embody the expertise (i.e., Watch Sequence 9 and Watch Extremely 2).
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Dec. 2023. The Workplace of the U.S. Commerce Representatives below the Biden administration might have stepped in to veto the ban, however on Dec. 26, it determined towards reversing the ITC’s ruling, in response to The Hill.
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Dec. 2023. A federal appeals courtroom paused the gross sales and import ban on the Apple Watch Sequence 9 and Watch Extremely 2, in response to The Verge. On-line gross sales are set to renew on Thursday, Dec. 28 at 3 p.m. ET.
So what now?
Apple is allowed to proceed promoting its watches whereas the corporate hears a ultimate determination on whether or not its proposed modifications to the gadgets assist dodge the patent points, The Verge stated. The US Customs and Border Safety is poised to rule on these tweaks on Jan. 12.
“We are thrilled to return the full Apple Watch lineup to customers in time for the new year. Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2, including the blood oxygen feature, will become available for purchase again in the United States at Apple Stores,” the Cupertino-based tech large instructed TechCrunch.