Apple–Masimo Patent Penalty: A Pricey Patent Pushback
A federal jury in California, United States, has ruled that Apple must pay 634 million USD in damages to medical-technology company Masimo. The verdict states that the “workout mode” and “heart rate notification” features used in the Apple Watch infringed upon Masimo’s patents related to blood-oxygen measurement technology. A Masimo spokesperson confirmed the ruling. Reuters reports.
Apple expressed disagreement with the verdict and announced it will appeal the decision. The company claimed that although Masimo has filed more than 25 patent complaints in various courts over the past six years, most of them were dismissed. Apple further stated that the only patent involved in this case expired in 2022 and is associated with long-established patient-monitoring technology.
Masimo, on the other hand, described the ruling as “an important victory” in protecting their innovation and intellectual property. As part of the long-running dispute between the two companies, a U.S. trade agency banned the import of Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 models in 2023. To bypass the ban, Apple temporarily removed the blood-oxygen measurement feature from the devices, later reinstating it in August 2025 with updated technology approved by U.S. customs authorities.
The ITC will hold a new hearing to determine whether the updated technology falls under the scope of the ban. Meanwhile, Masimo has filed a lawsuit challenging the customs authority’s decision, and Apple has also contested the import ban in federal court.
DBTech/BMT/OR
