A California federal jury delivered a seismic blow to Apple Inc. on Friday, ordering the tech giant to pay more than $634 million to Masimo Corp. after determining that the Apple Watch infringed a pulse oximetry patent tied to its abnormal heart-rate alert feature. The verdict capped an eight-day trial but marked only the latest flashpoint in a sprawling, yearslong legal war between the two companies.
The panel deliberated for roughly three hours before unanimously concluding that Apple violated all four of the asserted patent claims — landing Masimo the exact low-end figure of the $634 million to $749 million royalty range it sought.
A Long-Simmering Feud Reaches a Boil
The decision intensifies a bitter feud that has already stretched across courts, agencies, and continents. This chapter focused on a single Masimo patent that the company said Apple cannibalized to fortify the health-monitoring functions of its blockbuster smartwatch.
Neither legal team offered immediate comment as they exited the courtroom, but the testimony left little doubt that the companies viewed the case as a clash over the future of wearable health technology.
