The Biden administration let stand on Tuesday the U.S. International Trade Commission's ban of imports of Apple Watches that stems from a patent dispute over the devices' blood oxygen monitor. The decision goes into effect Tuesday.
The technology giant said last week it was "preemptively taking steps to comply" in case the ITC ruling held up. It has.
The pause in sales included the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2.
The legal dispute stems from the blood oxygen feature in the devices, which enables Apple Watch users to measure the level of oxygen in their blood. Low blood oxygen levels can lead to serious health problems, according to Cleveland Clinic.
Apple's decision came after the ITC ruled that the tech giant had illegally used blood oxygen technology from Masimo, a medical tech company, in the devices and ordered Apple to stop importing them. Neither Apple nor Masimo immediately returned requests for comment.
While a presidential panel reviewed the ITC's order, Apple preemptively pulled the devices in case the panel upheld the decision.
On December 26, 2023, the U.S. Trade Representative announced that Ambassador [Katherine] Tai has decided not to reverse the ITC's determination, making the ITC's decision final.
Apple has the option to appeal the ban to the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
In response to the order, Apple stated, "Apple strongly disagrees with the order and is pursuing a range of legal and technical options to ensure that Apple Watch is available to customers," in an email to CBS MoneyWatch last week.
Starting with its Series 6 model in 2020, Apple began including the pulse oximeter feature in its smart watches.
It's important to note that the ban does not apply to the less expensive Apple Watch SE or previously sold watches.
