The Biden administration in the United States has chosen not to overturn a government tribunal’s decision to impose a ban on Apple Watches. The decision follows a ruling by the US International Trade Commission (ITC) to impose an import ban on Apple’s Series 9 and Ultra 2 smartwatches in response to a complaint from Massimo, a medical monitoring technology company. Massimo has accused Apple of stealing its pulse oximetry technology and hiring away its employees.
The ITC’s import ban took effect on December 26, and Apple has chosen to appeal the decision in the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington. Apple had previously requested that the ITC pause the ban during the appeal process, but the request was rejected.
As a result of the ITC’s decision, Apple has halted the sale of Series 9 and Ultra 2 smartwatches in the US. However, these watches were still available for purchase on other retailers’ platforms, such as Amazon, Walmart, and Best Buy, as of December 26.
The import ban does not affect smartwatches that have already been sold, and it also does not apply to the sale of the Apple Watch SE, a less expensive model.
Apple contends that Masimo’s legal action is a “maneuver to clear a path” for the company to introduce its own smartwatch and compete with Apple. Additionally, Apple has countersued Masimo for patent infringement in federal court in Delaware.
In the US, a presidential administration has not overturned an ITC ruling since 2013. In that year, the Obama administration overturned an import ban on Apple iPhones during the tech giant’s patent dispute with Samsung. Earlier this year, the Biden administration also declined to veto an import ban on Apple Watches in a separate case brought by medical technology company AliveCor.
Apple’s wearables, including the Apple Watch, constitute a significant portion of the company’s revenue. In the third quarter of 2023 alone, wearables generated $8.28 billion in revenue for Apple.
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