A federal jury ruled that older Apple Watch models infringed on Masimo's pulse oximetry patents
In the latest chapter of the long-running legal war between Apple and medical tech company Masimo, a federal jury in California has ordered Apple to pay $634 million in damages.
The jury found that Apple’s blood-oxygen monitoring technology—specifically in older models sold between 2020 and 2022—infringed Masimo’s patents.
This specific case is separate from the ongoing International Trade Commission (ITC) dispute that led to the import ban and subsequent disabling of the blood oxygen feature on newer Apple Watch models (Series 9, 10, Ultra 2). Instead, this trial focused on whether the Apple Watch could be categorized as a ‘patient monitor’ under Masimo’s patent definitions.
Masimo successfully argued that features such as the Apple Watch’s high-heart-rate notifications and workout modes function as patient monitoring, thereby infringing on its intellectual property. Apple countered that ‘patient monitors’ are clinical devices designed for continuous observation to catch every medical event, whereas the Apple Watch only checks periodically when the user is still.
The jury sided with Masimo, awarding the company the statutory damages it sought. In a statement, Masimo called the verdict a “significant win in our ongoing efforts to protect our innovations.”
What happens next?
Apple, meanwhile, has vowed to appeal. A spokesperson stated that the single patent in question expired in 2022 and relates to “historic patient monitoring technology from decades ago.”
Apple also noted that Masimo has sued it in multiple courts, asserting over 25 patents, the vast majority of which have been found invalid.
While this verdict is a financial blow, it pertains to older devices and expired patents, meaning it likely won’t directly impact the availability or features of current Apple Watch models, which have already been modified to navigate the separate ITC ruling.
