Apple intends to relaunch its latest smartwatch models for sale in its stores in the United States on Wednesday after winning a patent lawsuit, providing a quick facilitation for its $17 billion business.
Court Decision and Sales Resumption
The company announced that the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 will also resume online sales starting Thursday at 12 PM Pacific Time. The U.S. International Trade Commission had banned the import and sale of products through Apple’s official channels after a ruling in favor of Masimo Corp., a medical device manufacturer, in a patent infringement case. A Washington appeals court issued a temporary order suspending the International Trade Commission’s decision earlier on Wednesday while Apple seeks to appeal the ruling.
Company Comment and Return of Watches for Sale
The company spokesperson said, “Apple teams have worked hard for many years to develop technologies that enable users to benefit from industry-leading health, wellness, and safety features, and we are pleased with the U.S. Federal Circuit Court of Appeals’ decision to suspend the exclusion order while it considers our request to suspend the order pending a full appeal.”
Return of Watches to Stores
The watches will return to stores starting Wednesday at some Apple retail locations nationwide, and will be more widely available by Saturday, according to the company’s announcement.
Stop on Watch Sales and White House Decision
Apple was forced to halt sales of one of its flagship products after the International Trade Commission confirmed that the company violated two patents held by Masimo related to measuring blood oxygen saturation. Apple removed the watches from its website on December 21 and from stores on Christmas Eve.
The International Trade Commission announced the sales and import ban in October, but the White House had 60 days to review it and could potentially object. U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai said on Tuesday that she would not intervene, and the White House declined to contest the action.
Software Update and Final Decision
Apple also developed a software update for the Apple Watch that is believed to resolve the issue. The design of this update was submitted to U.S. Customs, and the government is set to decide on January 12 whether to approve the changes.
Masimo’s Reaction
As for Masimo, based in California, it declined to comment on the court’s decision issued on Wednesday. The company’s shares fell 4.6 percent to $115.11 in New York after the court temporarily lifted the ban on selling the watches. Apple’s shares remained steady.
International Trade Commission’s Reaction
The International Trade Commission opposed the temporary suspension, stating in a report submitted to the court on Tuesday that Apple had not faced “irreparable harm” while appealing since some models of the watches were still being sold.
The commission said: “The remedial orders issued by the commission do not affect all Apple Watch products, but only those with the blood oxygen measurement feature, which measures the oxygen level in the blood.”
Masimo’s Claim
Masimo is also seeking to intervene in the appeal case. The company stated in a separate report on Tuesday that Apple’s emergency request for a temporary suspension should be denied “because there is no emergency.”
Masimo stated, “Apple misleads the court about the existing situation, failing to inform the court that it has already stopped selling the infringing Apple watches that are the subject of the stated exclusion orders.”
Watch Updates and Halt on Repairs
Apple argued that the International Trade Commission’s ruling was incorrect and said it is “taking all measures to return the watches to the U.S. market.” There was an issue for owners of the Apple Watch Series 6, 7, and 8 – which include the blood oxygen saturation feature – as they were not eligible for hardware repairs while the ban remained in effect.
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