A federal jury in California has ordered Apple to pay $634 million to Masimo Corporation for infringing patents related to blood oxygen monitoring technology used in its lineup of Apple Watches.
According to reports published in Reuters, the jury found that the features such as ‘workout’ mode and heart-rate notifications in Apple Watches violated Masio’s pulse-oximetry patent rights.
The verdict covers 43 million Apple Watches sold between 2020 and 2022. It marks one of the largest patent awards in the Central District of California involving a consumer tech product.
Masimo called the verdict ‘a major win’ in its year-long battle to protect its intellectual property. The medical device manufacturer had been seeking royalties of between $634 million and $749 million, arguing that Apple had commercially used medical-grade technology without permission.
Apple, however, argued that damages should have been capped at $3 million, as the patent in dispute had expired in 2022. The company contended that the technology involved ‘historic patient monitoring systems’, not relevant to consumer wearables like the Apple Watch.
Following the decision, Apple said it would appeal. The tech giant noted that Masimo has filed lawsuits in several courts and that ‘the majority’ of its asserted patents have been ruled invalid.
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The ruling represents the latest chapter in a broader, bitter patent and trade-secret battle between the two companies. In 2023, the ITC banned imports of certain Apple models after finding infringement of Masimo’s blood oxygen technology.
The decision forced Apple to remove the SpO2 sensor from newly shipped devices in the US before later introducing redesigned variants. Additionally, the dispute includes a mistrial in a different trade secrets case, along with Apple’s successful $250 million countersuit against Masimo regarding design patents.