Biden's administration upholds ban on Apple Watch
Technology
The ban was imposed after Apple infringed on blood oxygen saturation technology
(Web Desk) - Apple can no longer sell the Watch Series 9 and Watch Ultra 2 in the US after President Joe Biden’s administration declined to veto the ban.
Apple pulled both devices from its website on Dec 21 and from its store shelves after Dec 24.
A statement (via CNBC) from the Office of US Trade Representative Katherine Tai said the agency “decided not to reverse the ITC’s [International Trade Commission] determination” after “careful consideration.”
In a statement published by Reuters, an unnamed Apple spokesperson confirmed it’s appealing the ITC decision and said: “We strongly disagree with the USITC decision and resulting exclusion order, and are taking all measures to return Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 to customers in the U.S. as soon as possible.”
The ITC issued the ban after finding that Apple infringed on blood oxygen saturation technology patented by a company called Masimo.
It also ordered Apple to stop selling any previously-imported devices with the infringed-upon tech.
While Apple attempted to block the decision while awaiting an appeal, the ITC denied Apple’s request, and the other chance of intervention was a veto from President Joe Biden, which didn't happen.
The ban only affects Apple stores in the US. That means customers can still get their hands on a Watch Series 9 or Watch Ultra 2 at Best Buy, Target, and other retailers while supplies last. Apple will also continue selling the Watch SE, as it doesn’t come with a blood oxygen sensor.
Still, it’s not clear where Apple will go from here. My colleague Victoria Song explores the various paths Apple could take, including making software changes to the blood oxygen sensor on both watches or disabling the sensor on imported devices.
But both of those methods might not be enough to satisfy the ITC, which is why Apple could always choose to settle with Masimo instead.
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