Apple's Limited Victory in the Battle of the Smartwatches
Matilda
Apple's Limited Victory in the Battle of the Smartwatches
In a recent legal showdown, Apple emerged victorious against Masimo, a medical device company. A federal jury found that Masimo's older smartwatch models infringed on Apple's design patents. However, the victory was a bittersweet one for the tech giant, with the jury awarding Apple a mere $250 in damages. The Heart of the Dispute The underlying conflict between the two companies centers around the pulse-oximetry feature, which measures blood oxygen levels. This feature, present in Apple Watch models, was at the core of Masimo's initial claims of patent infringement. In response to Masimo's legal actions, Apple temporarily disabled the pulse-oximetry feature in its latest Watch models sold in the United States. The company is currently appealing an import ban imposed on devices equipped with the contested feature. A Clash of Titans The legal battle between Apple and Masimo highlights the increasing importance of intellectual property rights in the rapidly evolving wearable t…
