US imports of some Apple Watches banned while patent case plays out
Apple cannot sell two flagship Apple Watch models in the U.S. as the iPhone maker fights a legal battle over patents covering a blood oxygen measurement feature, a U.S.
appeals court ruled on Wednesday.
The legal fight could take a year and analysts expect Apple to disable the disputed feature in the meantime to comply with the ban and keep the watch on sale.
Apple shares closed 0.5% lower at $182.68 after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ruled the company can no longer sell Series 9 and Ultra 2 Apple Watches with the blood oxygen feature at the center of a wide-ranging legal battle with medical technology company Masimo.
The affected watches cannot be imported starting at 5 p.m.
ET (2200 GMT) on Thursday while Apple appeals a December decision by the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) to halt imports of the devices.
Apple Watches comprise about a quarter of the global smartwatch market, according to Counterpoint Research.
In a statement, Joe Kiani, Masimo's founder and chief executive, said the ruling «affirms that even the largest and most powerful companies must respect the intellectual rights of American inventors and must deal with the consequences when they are caught infringing others' patents.»
Apple representatives did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the decision.
Separately, U.S. Customs and Border Protection on Jan.
