White House Bans Smartwatches

World’s giant technological company Apple said on Tuesday it will appeal a US ban on its latest smartwatch models after the Biden administration opted to not veto a ruling on patent infringements. The ban on Apple's latest smartwatch models came into effect Tuesday, with the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 no longer available in stores or online.

The ban is the latest legal tussle involving big tech companies over valuable patents that has also seen Google battle in court against Sonos in a fight over speaker tech. Earlier The United States International Trade Commission (ITC) decided in October to ban the Apple Watch models over a patented technology for detecting blood-oxygen levels.

The order stemmed from a complaint to the commission in mid-2021 by medical device maker Masimo Corp, which accused Apple of infringing on "light-based oximetry functionality."

"After careful consultations, Ambassador (Katherine) Tai decided not to reverse the... determination and the ITC's decision became final on December 26, 2023," the office of the US Trade Representative said in a statement on Tuesday.

Though US President Joe Biden's office has authority to reverse import bans, such actions are only taken rarely. In a statement, Masimo said the confirmed ban "is a win for the integrity of the US patent system, and ultimately American consumers who will benefit from an ecosystem that rewards true innovation."Apple contends that the ITC finding was in error and should be reversed, filing an appeal in a US federal court.

But the company pulled the products from the online Apple Store on December 21, with retail locations ceasing sales December 24 - just ahead of the holiday. Apple manufactures the vast majority of its products overseas, predominantly in China, giving the International Trade Commission jurisdiction over the matter. Masimo contends it invented the technology - and that Apple poached its employees to win access to the knowledge.

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