ITC Denies Apple's Request for a Stay on Looming Apple Watch Import Ban

The U.S. International Trade Commission today denied Apple's motion to stay a looming Apple Watch ban while Apple files for appeal [PDF via The Verge], which means one avenue avoiding a pause in sales has been exhausted.

apple watch ultra blue
Apple filed the appeal on October 30, aiming to prevent an import ban from going into effect while an appeal was underway, but the ITC said no to the request. The ITC has ordered Apple to stop importing Apple Watch blood oxygen sensor equipment that infringes on patents owned by medical device company Masimo.

U.S. sales of the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 are set to stop online after 12:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 21. In-store sales will stop after December 24. The sales ban is limited to the United States and only impacts Apple. Best Buy, Walmart, Target, and other retailers can continue to sell the ‌Apple Watch Ultra 2‌ and Series 9 until supplies are exhausted.

The ITC implemented the import ban after deciding that Apple had indeed violated Masimo patents with the blood oxygen monitoring technology in the Apple Watch, which Masimo has been claiming for years.

Apple could avoid an import ban if the White House vetoes the ITC's decision, but it is so far looking like that might not happen. The White House has until December 25 to decide whether it will step in. Back when the iPhone was facing an import ban because of a patent dispute with Samsung, then-President Barack Obama did veto the ITC's ruling, but this time Apple is in a dispute with an American company and it is over a product that is not as pivotal as the ‌iPhone‌.

Apple is working to update the algorithms used in the Apple Watch blood oxygen sensor in an attempt to skirt the ban, and the company said that it plans to submit a workaround. While Apple thinks it can avoid patent infringement through a software update, Masimo has said that a software update will not work.

Popular Stories

iPhone SE 4 Vertical Camera Feature

iPhone SE 4 Production Will Reportedly Begin Ramping Up in October

Tuesday July 23, 2024 2:00 pm PDT by
Following nearly two years of rumors about a fourth-generation iPhone SE, The Information today reported that Apple suppliers are finally planning to begin ramping up mass production of the device in October of this year. If accurate, that timeframe would mean that the next iPhone SE would not be announced alongside the iPhone 16 series in September, as expected. Instead, the report...
iPhone 17 Plus Feature

iPhone 17 Lineup Specs Detail Display Upgrade and New High-End Model

Monday July 22, 2024 4:33 am PDT by
Key details about the overall specifications of the iPhone 17 lineup have been shared by the leaker known as "Ice Universe," clarifying several important aspects of next year's devices. Reports in recent months have converged in agreement that Apple will discontinue the "Plus" iPhone model in 2025 while introducing an all-new iPhone 17 "Slim" model as an even more high-end option sitting...
Generic iPhone 17 Feature With Full Width Dynamic Island

Kuo: Ultra-Thin iPhone 17 to Feature A19 Chip, Single Rear Camera, Semi-Titanium Frame, and More

Wednesday July 24, 2024 9:06 am PDT by
Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today shared alleged specifications for a new ultra-thin iPhone 17 model rumored to launch next year. Kuo expects the device to be equipped with a 6.6-inch display with a current-size Dynamic Island, a standard A19 chip rather than an A19 Pro chip, a single rear camera, and an Apple-designed 5G chip. He also expects the device to have a...
maxresdefault

These 5 Features Will Make the iPhone 17 the Biggest Update in Years

Monday July 22, 2024 4:02 pm PDT by
The upcoming iPhone 16 models that we're expecting to see in September are going to be quite similar to the iPhone 15 models, but rumors suggest that Apple is making big changes in 2025. We've been hearing hints of an all-new device in the iPhone lineup, and it may be the most expensive iPhone Apple has offered to date. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. New 'Slim'...
iPhone 16 Pro Sizes Feature

iPhone 16 Series Is Less Than Two Months Away: Everything We Know

Thursday July 25, 2024 5:43 am PDT by
Apple typically releases its new iPhone series around mid-September, which means we are about two months out from the launch of the iPhone 16. Like the iPhone 15 series, this year's lineup is expected to stick with four models – iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max – although there are plenty of design differences and new features to take into account. To bring ...
iOS 18 on iPhone Feature

Everything New in iOS 18 Beta 4

Tuesday July 23, 2024 1:08 pm PDT by
Apple released the fourth beta of iOS 18 today, introducing small changes to a number of features throughout the operating system. There are no big additions in this beta, but Apple is continuing to refine existing settings and design choices. Apple plans to continue updating iOS 18 over the next few months, with the update set to be released this fall. We've rounded up all of the changes...
iPhone SE 4 Thumb 1

iPhone SE 4 Rumored to Launch Early Next Year With OLED Display, 48MP Camera, and More

Monday July 22, 2024 7:22 am PDT by
The fourth-generation iPhone SE will offer a series of major upgrades over the current model, the leaker known as "Ice Universe" claims. The information was listed in a post on Weibo, which also detailed the specifications of the iPhone 17 lineup. As previously rumored, the fourth-generation iPhone SE is expected to feature Face ID and USB-C, marking a major upgrade from current and previous ...
iPhone 17 Plus Feature Purple

iPhone 17 Rumored to Feature Mechanical Aperture

Tuesday July 23, 2024 9:32 am PDT by
Apple is planning to release at least one iPhone 17 model next year with mechanical aperture, according to a report published today by The Information. The mechanical system would allow users to adjust the size of the iPhone 17's aperture, which refers to the opening of the camera lens through which light enters. All existing iPhone camera lenses have fixed apertures, but some Android...

Top Rated Comments

WarmWinterHat Avatar
8 months ago

Masimo is worthless, and this FTC would likely sue to block anyway.
Worthless? Masimo has their equipment (which is not that watch you have a photo of) in every hospital in North America, and a generous slice of Europe. We (hospital I work at) buy a lot of their sensors yearly.

Hardly. Current estimates are $6-10 billion.
Score: 33 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Naraxus Avatar
8 months ago

Masimo is worthless, and this FTC would likely sue to block anyway.

Apple needs to countersue over this turd.


That's one of the most ignorant comments I've seen here. Masimo is FAR from worthless
Score: 33 Votes (Like | Disagree)
surfzen21 Avatar
8 months ago

Worthless? Masimo has their equipment (which is not that watch you have a photo of) in every hospital in North America, and a generous slice of Europe. We (hospital I work at) buy a lot of their sensors yearly.

Hardly. Current estimates are $6-10 billion.
Please don't come to macrumors with logic and/or facts. This is not the place for that type of nonsense. ?
?
Score: 27 Votes (Like | Disagree)
toobravetosave Avatar
8 months ago
Apple could stand in the middle of 5th avenue and shoot somebody and they wouldn’t lose MacRumors customers
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Naraxus Avatar
8 months ago
Good. It's about time Apple pays for their patent thievery
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
erikkfi Avatar
8 months ago
Apple is entering the "find out" stage.
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)