US tech giant Apple’s latest smartwatch models Apple Watch Ultra 2 and Apple Watch Series 9 have been banned for sale in the US.
The decision of the US International Trade Commission to order Apple to stop the import and sale of these smartwatches following a complaint by medical monitoring technology company Masimo in October was not vetoed by US President Joe Biden’s administration.
With the Biden administration, which has until December 25 to veto the decision, Apple’s latest smartwatch models Apple Watch Ultra 2 and Watch Series 9 are banned for sale in the country.
In a statement from the US Trade Representative (USTR), it was reminded that the US International Trade Commission found that Apple violated two patents owned by US-based Masimo and Cercacor Laboratories.
In the statement, it was reported that after careful consultations, it was decided not to overturn the decision of the US International Trade Commission and that the decision was finalized as of today.
Apple appealed the decision to the US Federal Court of Appeals. Asking for a stay of the decision, Apple asked for a review by US Customs and Border Protection, which has until January 12 to decide whether the redesigned versions of the watches infringe Masimo’s patents.
The US International Trade Commission, which hears international trade disputes, ruled in October that the Apple Watch’s ability to read blood oxygen levels infringed Masimo’s pulse oximetry patents.
Apple announced on December 18 that it would halt sales of the Apple Watch Ultra 2 and Apple Watch Series 9 in its stores due to the patent dispute.
Apple’s smartwatch models that do not include the ability to read blood oxygen levels, such as the lower-priced Apple Watch SE, will not be affected by this dispute.
Source: AA