ALBAWABA - The U.S. ban on importing some models of Apple smartwatches went into effect on Tuesday after the Biden administration opted not to use its veto power in a patent infringement case.
In October, the U.S. International Trade Commission decided to ban the import of certain Apple Watch models into the United States due to a patent related to technology that monitors oxygen levels in the blood.
Apple argues that the commission's conclusions were erroneous and should be withdrawn. However, last week, Apple suspended sales of the Apple Watch Series 9, released in September, and the Apple Watch Ultra 2.
This action stems from a complaint filed with the commission in mid-2021, accusing Apple of violating the blood oxygen measurement function owned by the medical device manufacturer Masimo.
In a statement on Tuesday, the Executive Office of the President said, "After careful consideration, Ambassador Catherine Tai has decided not to overturn the decision, and the trade commission's ruling is final as of December 26, 2023."
Apple has been consistently enhancing fitness and health features with each generation of its dominant smartwatches. In September, Apple released the Apple Watch Series 9, emphasizing increased performance alongside features for accessing and recording health data.
When the ban was imposed, Apple stated, "Our teams tirelessly work to create products and services that empower consumers through leading-edge features in the fields of health and public safety."
Masimo filed a complaint with the U.S. International Trade Commission in 2021, alleging that the Apple Watch 6, a model released for sale in 2020, infringed on one of its patented technologies relying on light levels to measure blood oxygen saturation.
In late October of the previous year, Apple filed two lawsuits against Masimo, accusing it of patent infringement and alleging that it copied the technology of its watches inappropriately.
