Apple Triumphs in Patent Battle Against Masimo
In a recent legal battle, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) emerged victorious on Friday when a federal jury ruled that Masimo Corporation's (NASDAQ:MASI) smartwatches and chargers infringed on two of Apple's design patents. The jury in Delaware found that Masimo's W1 and Freedom watches and chargers intentionally violated Apple's patented smartwatch designs.
Despite the infringement finding, the jury decided that Apple would only receive a symbolic $250 in damages, the legal minimum for such cases in the U.S. Apple's legal team noted that the main goal of the lawsuit was not monetary compensation but rather obtaining an injunction to halt Masimo's smartwatch sales.
The jury also concluded that Masimo's current smartwatch models did not infringe on Apple's patents. Masimo welcomed the ruling, clarifying that it was only related to the products that were halted from production, and expressed their view of the outcome as a victory, particularly due to the jury's decision that their current products did not violate any patents.
Apple, valued at approximately $3.5 trillion, expressed satisfaction with the jury's decision, stating that it would help protect the innovations they bring to their customers.
The legal disputes between the two companies are not limited to this case. Masimo had previously accused Apple of poaching its employees and misusing pulse oximetry technology. This accusation led to last year's U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) ruling that blocked the import of Apple’s Series 9 and Ultra 2 smartwatches, after determining that the blood oxygen reading technology infringed on Masimo's patents. Apple appealed the ITC’s decision and continued to sell the watches after removing the infringing technology.
In a counterclaim filed in 2022, Apple accused Masimo of copying features of the Apple Watch for its own smartwatches. Additionally, Masimo alleged that Apple's patent lawsuit was retaliatory and an attempt to shift the legal battleground from the court where their disputes were ongoing.
This article has been assisted by AI, translated, and reviewed by an editor. For more information, please refer to our Terms and Conditions.