The ban on imports of Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 models has been temporarily paused, so Apple can sell those models of the smartwatch — at least for now.
After President Biden decided not to veto the sales ban, Apple filed an emergency request to the United States Court of Appeals. The court has accepted an interim stay while the it considers Apple’s request for a full stay for the length of the appeal.
“The [Federal Trade] Commission’s request for a five-day extension, from January 5, 2024, to January 10, 2024, is granted,” the court says. “Opposition to the motion to stay pending appeal is due no later than January 10, 2024, and any reply in support is due no later than January 15, 2024.”
The ban arises from a complaint by medical tech firm Masimo, alleging Apple unlawfully incorporated its pulse oximetry tech into the Apple Watch. Apple removed the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 from its online store on December 21. You can buy ‘em now, but it’s hard to predict when/if the ban will be reinstated.
However, Bloomberg reports that Apple is plotting a “rescue mission” for the $17 billion business that includes software fixes and other potential workarounds. The article says that engineers at the company are racing to make changes to algorithms on the device that measure a user’s blood oxygen level — a feature that Masimo claims infringes its patents. They’re adjusting how the technology determines oxygen saturation and presents the data to customers, according to Bloomberg.
