US court bars Apple from importing smartwatches during appeal

The news: A US court has ruled that Apple cannot import its Series 9 and Ultra 2 smartwatches while the company appeals a government decision that the products infringe patents belonging to medical technology company Masimo, Reuters reported.

The numbers: Apple Watches hold around 25% of the global smartwatch market, according to Counterpoint Research. Apple's wearables, home and accessory business, including the Apple Watch, brought in USD8.28 billion ($12.6 billion) in revenue during the third quarter of 2023.

The context: Masimo has accused Apple of hiring its employees and stealing its pulse oximetry technology to use in its Apple Watches. After the US International Trade Commission (ITC) barred imports and direct Apple sales of its smartwatches that read blood-oxygen levels, Apple filed an emergency request for the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit to halt the ban last month, after the government declined to veto a tribunal decision.

The latest ruling means Apple's Series 9 and Ultra 2 smartwatches cannot be imported from Thursday. Meanwhile, US Customs and Border Protection determined on 12 January that Apple's proposed watch redesign would allow it to import reconfigured version of the affected watches without violating the ITC's restrictions.