AliveCor Praises Apple Watch Ban Amid Its Own Health Tech Patent Dispute With Apple - MacRumors
Skip to Content

AliveCor Praises Apple Watch Ban Amid Its Own Health Tech Patent Dispute With Apple

Health technology company AliveCor has praised the International Trade Commission (ITC)'s ban on sales of the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 in the United States.

apple watch ecg wrist
AliveCor, like Masimo, accuses Apple of violating its patents related to heath technology used in the Apple Watch. While Masimo's fight focuses on the Apple Watch's blood oxygen sensing capabilities, AliveCor contends that Apple is in breach of patent with its ECG technology.

AliveCor demonstrated a prototype Apple Watch band with a built-in ECG sensor to Apple in 2015. Apple then unveiled its own built-in ECG technology in 2018 with the Apple Watch Series 4, leading AliveCor to argue that Apple had stolen its technology and request that the ITC bans Apple Watch sales in the United States. AliveCor also initiated an antitrust lawsuit against Apple, alleging that it was making it needlessly difficult for third-party apps to access the Apple Watch's heart rate data.

In a statement to 9to5Mac, AliveCor expressed its support for Masimo and praised the move to ban Apple Watch sales:

This is the second time in less than 12 months President Biden has allowed an International Trade Commission Limited Exclusion Order (LEO) to stand against imports of Apple Watches that violate the patents of small U.S. innovators. Earlier this year, AliveCor's patent for its FDA-cleared personal electrocardiogram (ECG) technology was similarly affirmed and we share our support today for Masimo's tenacity in its face off with Apple. Innovator companies and health consumers alike should be encouraged that industry giants are increasingly being held accountable for anticompetitive practices that would ultimately limit access to potentially life-saving technology.

The ITC ruled in favor of AliveCor's patent infringement claims, but the case did not result in a ban on Apple Watch sales as AliveCor hoped. Unlike AliveCor, Masimo argues that Apple actively hired its engineers and key executives to steal technology.

Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Popular Stories

apple watch series 6 blood oxygen monitoring 1

Apple's $634 Million Apple Watch Patent Bill Just Got Even Bigger

Tuesday October 6, 2026 6:09 am PDT by
Apple's $634 million patent loss to medical technology company Masimo has just gotten even bigger, after a federal judge ordered Apple to pay an additional $184 million in interest on what it owes (via Bloomberg Law). The ruling takes Apple's bill to around $818 million, but that doesn't include any post-judgment interest continuing to accrue until the judgment is paid. Judge James Selna ...
iPhone Duo Display Cracking

Apple Alerts Stores to iPhone Duo's Display Cracking Issue

Friday October 30, 2026 3:20 pm PDT by
In a memo shared with Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers this week, and later obtained by MacRumors, Apple provided technicians with guidance on how to diagnose and address the iPhone Duo's inner display cracking issue. If a customer reports the issue, Apple advised technicians to inspect the iPhone Duo and repair or replace it in accordance with their standard procedures....
apple pro tell logo

Apple Launching Five New Products This Friday

Monday November 2, 2026 1:22 am PST by
Apple is releasing five new products this Friday, November 6, following pre-orders that opened last week, including its first touchscreen MacBook Pro models. The following new products will be available from Friday: iPad mini with OLED display and A20 Pro chip iMac with M6 chip 14-inch MacBook Pro with M6 chip 14-inch MacBook Pro with OLED touchscreen 16-inch MacBook Pro with OLED...

Top Rated Comments

WarmWinterHat Avatar
37 months ago

POTUS is probably going to regret not vetoing this ban come next November. Silicon Valley and Apple evangelist will make it known.
The President absolutely made the correct decision. This veto power is keep goods flowing vital to the country (national security, military, etc.), not to pat a company on the back for being American. In additon, both companies are American.

Masimo is not a patent troll. They make medical devices, have for years, and have been producing SpO2 sensors longer than Apple has been using them. We use 20-50 of the Masimo sensors daily here at work (hospital). Every single hospital in North America uses their devices...and that's not an exaggeration.

What makes you think the Supreme Court would even take up this case?
Score: 34 Votes (Like | Disagree)
spazzcat Avatar
37 months ago

AliveCor also initiated an antitrust lawsuit ('https://www.macrumors.com/2021/05/26/alivecor-apple-watch-antitrust-lawsuit/') against Apple, alleging that it was making it needlessly difficult for third-party apps to access the Apple Watch's heart rate data.
Requiring my permission to access my data is not needlessly difficult.
Score: 30 Votes (Like | Disagree)
WarmWinterHat Avatar
37 months ago

Well, they’re acting like patent troll. And so far their intention is to kill the competition. If the patent troll wanted to make things work, why did they make initial offer that only benefits them and not both Apple and them?

As for SCOTUS, considering the unbalanced makeup of the judges, they will take the case. They are all about large business and money. And the patent troll company have nothing when it comes to defending themselves in SCOTUS based on how they have acted so far.

Also, Wall Street and Silicon Valley people likely isn’t happy about SCOTUS decision to veto this, and they’ll make sure to let him know that he made the wrong choice on this come November next year.
SCOTUS doesn't veto, or not veto this, the President does. "Silicon valley" doesn't vote for the president, the people do. They (silicon valley) already have waaaaay too much influence, and as far as I'm concerned, can get bent.

Both companies are large businesses. Masimo is a 35 year-old $7-10 billion company with around 10k employees; they aren't as big as Apple, but they aren't tiny. In addition, they are well-liked and respected in the medical devices community; look for several other big medical companies, with very very large pockets, to come to their defense/aid if it makes it that far.

I will say again, they are not a patent troll. A patent troll is a company that holds a patent but never builds, or has any intention, of building a devices based on said patent, but enforces their rights to it.. Masimo produces more of these sensors in a week than Apple does in a year, and have been selling them for longer than the Apple watch has had said sensors. I would have to check, but I think they have been producing them longer than the Apple watch has existed as a whole.
Score: 25 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Quu Avatar
37 months ago

The President absolutely made the correct decision. This veto power is keep goods flowing vital to the country (national security, military, etc.), not to pat a company on the back for being American. In additon, both companies are American.

Masimo is not a patent troll. They make medical devices, have for years, and have been producing SpO2 sensors longer than Apple has been using them. We use 20-50 of the Masimo sensors daily here at work (hospital). Every single hospital in North America uses their devices...and that's not an exaggeration.

What makes you think the Supreme Court would even take up this case?
Indeed and according to Apples own internal emails which were turned over during discovery, they knew Masimo had what they needed. They considered purchasing the entire company but Tim Cook made the final decision to not buy them and to instead poach as many engineers as needed to replicate their technology.

They even opened a building down the street from Masimo so their employees wouldn't have to uproot their families if they joined Apple.

In this situation, Apple thought they'd get away with it and I'm glad they're not. Don't think for even one second that Apple would let another company do this to them when they infringe an Apple patent, of which Apple files between 5,000 and 9,000 patents per year.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
37 months ago

The President absolutely made the correct decision. This veto power is keep goods flowing vital to the country (national security, military, etc.), not to pat a company on the back for being American. In additon, both companies are American.

Masimo is not a patent troll. They make medical devices, have for years, and have been producing SpO2 sensors longer than Apple has been using them. We use 20-50 of the Masimo sensors daily here at work (hospital). Every single hospital in North America uses their devices...and that's not an exaggeration.

What makes you think the Supreme Court would even take up this case?
There is no medical device company that is well-liked. They have been ripping off insurance companies (ultimately us) since they opened their doors. Charging massive amounts of money for devices as simple as knee braces all the way up to implants and there supposedly never being any economy of scale for production.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
spazzcat Avatar
37 months ago

Neither of these companies is a patent troll… Apple is a thieving bully… love their products not their business practices… Apple’s internal motto must be, “we can out litigate any of these tiny idiots!”

So glad Biden didn’t give Apple a pass, as that would have been the wrong message to bullies everywhere. It would have been like saying keep on bullying, stealing and use your position of power to destroy any competition to Tim and his executives.
Masimo is also acting like a bully. People seem to keep ignoring the fact that Masimo has already has several patents invalided and the rest are being review and fact that Apple holds patents for the tech they are using in their watch.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Latest Stories
Apple Isn't Done With 2026: Here's What's Still Coming
Apple Isn't Done With 2026: Here's What's Still Coming
9 minutes ago
Best Early Black Friday Deals on Apple Products Available Now
Best Early Black Friday Deals on Apple Products Available Now
15 minutes ago
Apple 'HomeView Ultra' With 9-Inch 360º Screen Detailed in New Report
Apple 'HomeView Ultra' With 9-Inch 360º Screen Detailed in New Report
33 minutes ago
Apple TV 4K Pre-Order Discount Returns at Amazon
Apple TV 4K Pre-Order Discount Returns at Amazon
1 hour ago
Zoom and These Microsoft Apps Now Optimized for iPhone Duo
Zoom and These Microsoft Apps Now Optimized for iPhone Duo
1 hour ago
Canva Brings Free All-in-One Affinity App to iPad
Canva Brings Free All-in-One Affinity App to iPad
2 hours ago
iPhone Duo: Latest Buyer Wait Times
iPhone Duo: Latest Buyer Wait Times
3 hours ago
This iPhone Duo Screen Setting Is Proving Hard to Change
This iPhone Duo Screen Setting Is Proving Hard to Change
4 hours ago
Apple HomeView Could Double as a Security Camera
Apple HomeView Could Double as a Security Camera
6 hours ago
Apple Launching Five New Products This Friday
Apple Launching Five New Products This Friday
6 hours ago
Nearly Every M5 MacBook Air Now $200 Off on Amazon
Nearly Every M5 MacBook Air Now $200 Off on Amazon
22 hours ago
Apple's HomeView Ships With Six-Month-Old Software
Apple's HomeView Ships With Six-Month-Old Software
1 day ago
Three New iPads Rumored to Launch in First Half of 2027
Three New iPads Rumored to Launch in First Half of 2027
1 day ago
Apple Offers Steps to Fix Daylight Saving Time Bug on Apple Watch
Apple Offers Steps to Fix Daylight Saving Time Bug on Apple Watch
1 day ago
Apple Watch Ultra 4 Hits All-Time Low Price With Amazon's $99 Discount
Apple Watch Ultra 4 Hits All-Time Low Price With Amazon's $99 Discount
2 days ago
Reminder: Apple's Big Discount on Beats 360 Ear Cushions Ends Today
Reminder: Apple's Big Discount on Beats 360 Ear Cushions Ends Today
2 days ago
Here's a New Tour of Apple's HomeView Software
Here's a New Tour of Apple's HomeView Software
2 days ago
Apple Reveals New iPad Mini's Battery Capacity
Apple Reveals New iPad Mini's Battery Capacity
2 days ago
Top Stories: Apple's Big MacBook Pro, iPad mini and iMac Updates
Top Stories: Apple's Big MacBook Pro, iPad mini and iMac Updates
2 days ago
'Pluribus' Season 2 Reportedly Starts Production Today
'Pluribus' Season 2 Reportedly Starts Production Today
2 days ago
iPhone 18 Pro Sales Surge in China, Offsetting Decline in U.S. and Japan
iPhone 18 Pro Sales Surge in China, Offsetting Decline in U.S. and Japan
2 days ago
HomeView Software 27.2: Wallpapers, Control Center, and More
HomeView Software 27.2: Wallpapers, Control Center, and More
3 days ago
Apple Alerts Stores to iPhone Duo's Display Cracking Issue
Apple Alerts Stores to iPhone Duo's Display Cracking Issue
3 days ago
iOS 27.3 Will Enable These Apple Intelligence Features in China
iOS 27.3 Will Enable These Apple Intelligence Features in China
3 days ago
Apple Says iOS 27.3 Beta Coming Next Week
Apple Says iOS 27.3 Beta Coming Next Week
3 days ago
Apple's Flash Storage Suppliers Are Finally 'Getting Their Revenge'
Apple's Flash Storage Suppliers Are Finally 'Getting Their Revenge'
3 days ago
14 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 27.2
14 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 27.2
3 days ago
iPhone Duo Review: One Week Later
iPhone Duo Review: One Week Later
3 days ago
Samsung Mocks iPhone Duo Display Cracks in New Ad Campaign
Samsung Mocks iPhone Duo Display Cracks in New Ad Campaign
3 days ago
The MacRumors Show: OLED MacBook Pro, iPad Mini 8, and More
The MacRumors Show: OLED MacBook Pro, iPad Mini 8, and More
3 days ago