Masimo, founded by Joe Kiani in 1989, accused Apple of entering partnership discussions in 2013, only to allegedly steal the startup’s idea and hire some of its engineers.
The company, valued at $6.69 billion, pioneered sensor technology for monitoring blood oxygen saturation, holding thousands of patents.
Legal Battle and Financial Impact
Masimo sued Apple in federal court in 2020 and again in 2021 after the release of the Apple Watch Series 6, the first model featuring the blood oxygen feature. Kiani, Masimo’s founder, reportedly spent $60 million in legal battles against Apple.
The ITC’s ruling, issued in October, initiated a 60-day Presidential Review Period, which concludes on December 25.
Apple, strongly disagreeing with the order, is taking preemptive measures by halting sales while pursuing legal and technical options to challenge the ban.
The company’s web store will continue selling the affected models until December 21, 2023, while Apple Store locations can do so until December 24.
