A U.S. federal jury in California has ordered Apple to pay 634 million dollars to Masimo, the medical-technology firm known for its blood-oxygen monitoring systems. The decision came on Friday and marks another chapter in a long and bitter dispute between the two companies.
Jurors agreed with Masimo’s claim that features in the Apple Watch, including workout mode and heart-rate notifications, infringed one of its patents. A Masimo spokesperson confirmed the outcome shortly after the verdict. Apple said it disagrees with the ruling and plans to appeal.
The lawsuit is only one part of a wider conflict that has lasted several years. Masimo accuses Apple of poaching employees and using its pulse-oximetry work without permission. The disagreement has moved through courts, regulatory bodies, and trade agencies in the United States.
Tensions escalated in 2023 when a U.S. trade tribunal blocked imports of Apple’s Series 9 and Ultra 2 watches. The agency found that Apple incorporated Masimo’s patented technology. Apple then removed oxygen-reading features to avoid the ban. The company restored a revised version of the tool months later, after U.S. Customs and Border Protection cleared the update.
On Friday, the International Trade Commission said it will open a new review to decide whether Apple’s updated watches must remain under restrictions. At the same time, Masimo continues to challenge Customs in court, while Apple contests the original import ban at a federal appeals court.
Earlier attempts to resolve the dispute delivered mixed outcomes. A California judge declared a mistrial in a trade-secret case in 2023. In a separate action in Delaware, Apple won only 250 dollars in damages after alleging that Masimo’s own watches copied two of its design patents.
The jury’s new verdict adds fresh pressure to both sides as they navigate one of the tech industry’s most complex patent battles.
