So what exactly is Apple being sued over? Here's everything you need to know
Usually, products like smartwatches are only banned if they pose a health risk to users This is definitely not the case with the Apple Watch On the contrary, a startup company called AliveCor claims that Apple is infringing on patents related to heart rate monitoring technology for certain models
AliveCor told The Hill (opens in new tab) that it shared details about its wearable ECG technology with Apple in 2015 The relationship between the two started well, with AliveCor releasing an ECG accessory for the Apple Watch; ECG monitors have been on the best smartwatches for some time Not only can it be used to detect heart problems, it can also track heart rhythms and electrical activity
However, things reportedly turned sour when Apple added its own ECG monitor to the Apple Watch Series 4 and blocked third-party heart rate monitoring apps like AliveCor According to AliveCor, this move in 2018 damaged sales of its KardiaBand Apple Watch accessory
Priya Abani, CEO of AliveCor, told The Hill, "Instead of us coming up with new technology and the ecosystem growing us and continuing to build on the innovation we already have, Apple cut us off head on and technology, stole it, used their platform power to expand it, and now they are basically saying we can't cut them off because it has expanded"
As a result, AliveCor took legal action against Apple; in 2021, the brand filed a complaint with the International Trade Commission (ITC)-an independent agency that analyzes such trade issuesAliveCor accused Apple of copying its patents, and the ITC ruled in favor of AliveCor
The ITC issued an order banning the importation of Apple Watches with ECGs (this includes the Apple Watch 4, Apple Watch 5, Apple Watch 6, Apple Watch 7, Apple Watch 8, Apple Watch SE, and Apple Watch Ultra) mandated import bans and prevented them from entering the United States
Don't panic, you can still buy and use an Apple Watch For the time being, nothing has changed; according to Reuters (opens in new tab), AliveCor is currently filing another appeal with the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) of the Department of Commerce; as The Register (opens in new tab) emphasized, Apple had already been working on AliveCor's patent application before filing it already demonstrated that it was working on ECG technology
This means that the federal appeals court must address this dispute before it can address the ITC issue The typical timeline for such litigation is 12 to 18 months and is unlikely to be resolved until 2024
The Apple Watch will not face an import ban for some time, so even if the rumored Apple Watch Series 9 is released, US users will be able to purchase it Apple may also consider a variety of other avenues to block the import ban
AliveCor has stated that it is open to a settlement Apple argues that it has no obligation to let other companies use its platform
Unfortunately for Apple's legal team, AliveCor is not the only company seeking an import ban on the Apple Watch, although the patent dispute is rather complex The medical technology company Masimo also sued Apple for infringing five patents based on pulse oximetry A decision on whether this qualifies for an import ban will be made by the ITC in May
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