Apple Ordered to Pay $634 Million to Masimo for Patent Infringement
A federal jury in California delivered a significant verdict against Apple on Friday, mandating that the technology giant compensate Masimo, a medical-monitoring technology company, to the tune of $634 million. This ruling stems from a violation of a patent associated with blood-oxygen measurement technology.
The jury concurred with Masimo’s assertion that features integrated into the Apple Watch, specifically its workout mode and heart rate notification functions, infringed upon Masimo’s patent rights. A representative from Masimo confirmed the jury’s decision.
In response, an Apple spokesperson expressed the company’s disagreement with the ruling, indicating plans for an appeal. Masimo characterized the outcome as a “significant win in our ongoing efforts to protect our innovations and intellectual property.”
This litigation represents only one facet of an extensive, multi-layered patent dispute between Apple and Masimo, which is headquartered in Irvine, California. Masimo has accused Apple of allegedly poaching its employees and appropriating its pulse oximetry technology for use in its Apple Watches.
The escalating conflict recently led to a U.S. trade tribunal’s decision to prohibit the importation of Apple’s Series 9 and Ultra 2 smartwatches in 2023 due to findings that Apple’s technology infringed Masimo’s patents.
To circumvent the impending ban, Apple discontinued its blood-oxygen monitoring technology, only to reintroduce an updated version in August after securing approval from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Additionally, the International Trade Commission (ITC) has initiated a new proceeding to assess whether Apple’s updated smartwatch models should be subjected to the import ban.
Concurrently, Masimo has ongoing litigation against Customs concerning this decision, while Apple has also challenged the import ban in the federal appeals court.
In a separate development, a California judge previously declared a mistrial concerning Masimo’s trade secret case against Apple in 2023 when jurors failed to reach a unanimous verdict.
Conversely, in Delaware, Apple secured a minimal $250 verdict last year in a case where it accused Masimo’s smartwatches of infringing two design patents held by Apple.
Source link: Thehindu.com.
