jfid – The Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 can no longer be purchased in the United States, following the International Trade Commission’s (ITC) decision that these products infringe on the patents held by healthcare technology company Masimo.
Masimo claims that the Apple Watch uses their copyrighted technology for blood oxygen detection.
This technology allows users to monitor their blood oxygen levels, which can serve as a crucial health indicator.
Masimo filed a lawsuit against Apple in 2020 in the California Central District Court and brought the case to the ITC in 2021. In October 2023, the ITC ruled in favor of Masimo, mandating Apple to halt the sales of both Apple Watch models.
Apple stated they would remove these products from their official online stores starting December 21, 2023, and from offline stores across various locations from the same date.
However, Apple still has the option to appeal to President Joe Biden, who has 60 days to veto the ITC decision.
Apple also assured existing owners of Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 that their purchased products will remain unaffected.
The blood oxygen detection feature will continue to function as usual. However, for those intending to purchase these products for the first time, they will have to wait for a final decision from the authorities.
