Jury rules Masimo smartwatches infringe Apple design patents

Apple and medical device company Masimo are currently embroiled in multiple legal battles, headlined by the ongoing fight over the Apple Watch’s blood oxygen sensor.

In a separate case, however, Apple was handed a victory today courtesy of a jury in Delaware. The jury ruled that two of Masimo’s smartwatches and chargers “willfully violated Apple’s patent rights in smartwatch designs,” as reported by Reuters.

Apple previously accused Masimo of using litigation to boost the launch of its own smartwatch product. In October 2022, Apple filed two patent infringement lawsuits against Masimo. The first lawsuit accused Masimo of copying the Apple Watch design. The second said that Masimo’s technical features infringed on Apple patents covering technology used in the Apple Watch.

Reuters reports:

Apple convinced a federal jury on Friday that health monitoring tech company Masimo’s smartwatches infringe two of its design patents.

The jury, in Delaware, agreed with Apple that Masimo’s W1 and Freedom watches and chargers willfully violated Apple’s patent rights in smartwatch designs, awarding the tech giant $250 in damages. Apple’s attorneys told the court the “ultimate purpose” of its lawsuit was to win an injunction against sales of Masimo’s smartwatches after an infringement ruling.

The jury, however, also determined that Masimo’s smartwatches “did not infringe on Apple patents covering smartwatch inventions that the tech giant had accused Masimo of copying.”

In a statement to 9to5Mac, Apple said that this jury’s decision recognizes that Masimo “copies Apple Watch” and infringes on its intellectual property:

“We thank the jury for their careful consideration in this case, finding Masimo willfully infringed Apple’s patented designs. Teams at Apple worked for years to develop Apple Watch, a successful and innovative product that meaningfully impacts users’ lives. Masimo took shortcuts, launching a device that copies Apple Watch and infringes our intellectual property. We are glad the jury’s decision today will protect the innovations we advance on behalf of our customers.”

Masimo touts the jury’s ruling as a victory as Apple failed to win an injunction. “Apple primarily sought an injunction against Masimo’s current products, and the jury’s verdict is a victory for Masimo on that issue,” the company said in a statement.

Apple says it plans to continue exploring all options to safeguard its patented innovations, citing the strength of its evidence.

Again, this case has no direct impact on the ongoing legal dispute between Apple and Masimo regarding the Apple Watch’s blood oxygen sensor. In February, Apple CEO Tim Cook said Apple is focused on appealing the ITC’s ruling in that case, not settling with the company.

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