Medical technology company Masimo is challenging the decision made by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to lift the previous import ban on Apple Watches. This legal action aims to prevent Apple from reintroducing the blood oxygen tracking feature, which has been at the center of an ongoing patent dispute since 2020.
Masimo’s complaint, filed on Wednesday, points out that the CBP did not inform the company about its decision to reverse the restrictions imposed by the International Trade Commission (ITC). As a result, Masimo claims it was deprived of the opportunity to contest this ruling. The company became aware of the reversal only after Apple announced an updated pulse oximetry feature that now calculates blood oxygen levels on iPhones rather than on the Apple Watch.
In the legal documents, Masimo suggested that Apple has made significant investments in the U.S. following the denial of its appeals against the ITC ban. The company argues that the CBP’s new ruling permitting Apple to reactivate the blood oxygen feature contradicts established practices regarding ruling requests and disregards ongoing patent infringements by Apple.
Masimo emphasized that the continued enforcement of this ruling undermines its rights against unfair trade practices and threatens its competitive position in the U.S. market. The company is seeking a temporary restraining order and a preliminary injunction to halt the implementation of the CBP’s ruling, insisting that Apple should only be allowed to import Watches to the U.S. if the infringing technology is fully disabled.
