. These are the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 models, which premiered just a few months ago. The decision will come into force on Thursday, December 21, when the devices will disappear from the Apple Store. The watches will be available in Apple stores until December 24.
There’s probably no worse time to make such a decision. The pre-Christmas shopping frenzy is the moment when products such as Apple Watch are most popular.
It is worth noting that for now, the sale of watches will be suspended only in the United States and only in Apple’s official sales channels. Customers from Europe, including Poland, do not have to worry about the equipment suddenly disappearing from the Apple Store or electronics stores.
However, it cannot be ruled out that such a decision will be made in the coming months. Worse still, there is also a risk that the Cupertino company will be forced to stop selling other Apple Watch models.
Apple has to face quite serious accusations from Masimo, an American manufacturer of pulse oximeters and other professional medical devices. To understand the essence of the dispute between the two companies, you need to go back a decade.
Dispute over a small sensor. Apple is facing serious accusations
In 2013, cooperation between Apple and Masimo was to be established. Ultimately, however, no agreement was reached, and later Masimo accused the Cupertino company of that the earlier proposal was only a pretext to “steal” key employees. Apple distanced itself from these allegations, although it is undeniable that several important Masimo employees, including the medical director, actually joined Apple to help work on the first generation of Apple Watch.
The dispute definitely escalated in 2021 when Masimo filed a lawsuit against Apple. This time the case concerned the blood oxygen sensor that appeared in Apple watches. Masimo accused the would-be partner of stealing trade secrets, claiming that Apple used the company’s patents in the Apple Watch Series 6 watches.
In October this year The US International Trade Commission (ITC) confirmed the validity of Masimo’s accusations and then ordered the Cupertino company to stop selling Apple Watches. The matter was then submitted for an opinion by the administration of the US President, who has 60 days to submit a possible veto (Presidential Review Period).
However, Joe Biden has still not made a decision, and the 60-day deadline expires on December 25 this year. For this reason, Apple decided to preemptively comply with the ITC ruling and stop the sale of its watches in the US.
What’s next? The Cupertino company has two options. The first is to appeal to the federal court regarding the ITC judgment. The second is a settlement with Masimo and/or disabling the blood oxygen sensor in the Apple Watch. We will find out what steps the Cupertino giant will take after December 25, when the presidential veto period expires.
Source: Gazeta
Mabel is a talented author and journalist with a passion for all things technology. As an experienced writer for the 247 News Agency, she has established a reputation for her in-depth reporting and expert analysis on the latest developments in the tech industry.
