Apple banned in the US, can't sell its latest Apple watch models

New Delhi : In a major set back for tech giant company Apple Inc, the US government has refrained from lifting ban on the sale of Apple's latest smartwatches - Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2.

For those who are unaware, Apple was caughtup in the patent fiasco with the medical company Masimo for infringing upon patents of blood oxygen monitoring sensors.

Since 2020, Apple and Masimo have been indulged in a patent dispute. In early 2020, Masimo filed a legal action in the US District Court, accusing Apple of patent infringement related to blood oxygen monitoring.

In 2021, Masimo lodged a formal complaint with the International Trade Commission (ITC) after an unsatisfactory response to the initial lawsuit. Among the 103 patents cited by Masimo, ITC determined Apple's infringement on 2 patents.

By October 2023, ITC decided to await the Presidential Review before officially imposing any bans.

Earlier, the Presidential Review was announced and the Biden administration refused to overturn the ban. Thus, making the Apple Watch sales ban official.