US President declines to intervene in Apple Watch ban in the US

International Trade Commission (ITC) prohibiting the import and sale of certain Apple Watch models went into effect today, December 26th. The ruling stems from a patent dispute between Apple and medical technology company Masimo concerning technology used in the Apple Watch’s blood-oxygen level readings.

President Biden declined to veto the ITC’s decision, allowing the import ban to stand. This marks the first time a presidential administration has permitted an ITC ruling against Apple to proceed since 2013.

The affected models include the recently released Series 9 and Ultra 2 Apple Watches. The ban does not impact earlier models, such as the Apple Watch SE. Apple has already paused sales of the Series 9 and Ultra 2 models in the United States.

Today’s decision should help restore fairness in the market. Apple has similarly infringed on other companies’ technologies, and we believe today’s ruling exposes Apple as a company that takes other companies’ innovations and repackages them.

said Joe Kiani, CEO of Masimo.

The Apple Watch import ban could have significant implications for the company’s wearables business, which generated over $8 billion in revenue last quarter. The ban may also disrupt holiday shopping plans for customers hoping to purchase the newest Apple Watch models.

Overall, the Apple Watch’s future in the U.S. market remains uncertain. Whether the popular smartwatch makes a comeback depends on the outcome of the ongoing legal proceedings and Apple’s ability to address the patent concerns.

More here.