Apple Watch infringes Masimo pulse oximetry patent, rules judge
The International Trade Commission (ITC) has backed medical firm Masimo in its case alleging patent infringement in the blood oxygen sensors of the Apple Watch.

Masimo's complaint with the ITC followed its 2020 lawsuit against Apple over the same accusation. The filing with the ITC was then in June 2021, and the aim in both cases is to see a ban on the Apple Watch Series 6 and later.
The number of specific patents concerned varies between the lawsuit and the ITC complaint. The ITC judge has ruled that Apple violated Section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930 by infringing on one of Masimo's patents.
"We are happy that the ALJ recognized Apple's infringement of Masimo's pulse oximetry technology and took this critical first step toward accountability," Joe Kiani, Masimo CEO wrote in a statement sent to AppleInsider. "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."
In a statement to Reuters, an Apple spokesperson said that "We respectfully disagree with today's decision, and look forward to a full review by the Commission."
It's in that full review that the ITC will now consider a ban on the Apple Watch.
Masimo is not the only company pressing for a ban over the Apple Watch's health features allegedly infringing on other firms' patents. The ITC has previously also backed AliveCor's allegation that Apple infringed on its ECG technology.
Read on AppleInsider

Masimo's complaint with the ITC followed its 2020 lawsuit against Apple over the same accusation. The filing with the ITC was then in June 2021, and the aim in both cases is to see a ban on the Apple Watch Series 6 and later.
The number of specific patents concerned varies between the lawsuit and the ITC complaint. The ITC judge has ruled that Apple violated Section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930 by infringing on one of Masimo's patents.
"We are happy that the ALJ recognized Apple's infringement of Masimo's pulse oximetry technology and took this critical first step toward accountability," Joe Kiani, Masimo CEO wrote in a statement sent to AppleInsider. "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."
In a statement to Reuters, an Apple spokesperson said that "We respectfully disagree with today's decision, and look forward to a full review by the Commission."
It's in that full review that the ITC will now consider a ban on the Apple Watch.
Masimo is not the only company pressing for a ban over the Apple Watch's health features allegedly infringing on other firms' patents. The ITC has previously also backed AliveCor's allegation that Apple infringed on its ECG technology.
Read on AppleInsider
Comments
Pray tell, where did I say it would be simple? I don't seen it; enlighten me.
Apple comes along and makes it portable (smaller) and all those companies that made medical devices in the past are mad because they have been disrupted. At some point, Apple will add blood pressure monitoring to the Apple Watch, and some company will come out of the woodwork and sue them for that too.
Every additional add to the Apple Watch, that involves medical information, monitoring, or anything else you can think of Apple will be sued, particularly in the United States where the medical industry in general is out of control cost wise.
Claim 20 (which wasn't found to be infringed):
Claim 24 (which was found to be infringed):
And Claim 30 (which was also found to be infringed):
EDIT: Correction... The ITC judge did find that a few other claims were infringed, but found that those claims were invalid or otherwise unenforceable.