Apple Clears Major Legal Hurdle After U.S. Trade Tribunal Shuts Down Masimo’s Latest Watch Ban Attempt

• The dispute between the two firms began in 2021 when Masimo, which is being acquired by Danaher, accused Apple of poaching key engineers and stealing pulse-oximetry technology it had developed.
• Masimo can appeal the ITC's decision to the Washington-based U.S. ​Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, Reuters noted.

The U.S. International Trade Commission has ruled in favor of Apple (AAPL), rejecting medical-device maker Masimo’s (MASI) latest attempt to impose a fresh import ban on certain Apple Watch models.

The commission closed Masimo’s case after declining to review a preliminary ruling issued in March by an ITC administrative law judge. The judge had found that Apple’s redesigned smartwatches do not infringe two Masimo patents covering blood-oxygen measurement technology.

“For more than six years, Masimo has waged a relentless legal campaign against Apple, and nearly all of its claims have been rejected,” Apple reportedly said in a statement to Reuters while extending its gratitude to the commission.

Apple Vs. Masimo

The dispute between the two firms began in 2021 when Masimo, which is being acquired by Danaher (DHR), accused Apple of poaching key engineers and stealing pulse-oximetry technology it had developed for hospital-grade monitors. Masimo claimed Apple used the know-how to launch the blood-oxygen feature on the Apple Watch. The Irvine, California-based company filed patent-infringement and trade-secret lawsuits in California federal court and a separate complaint at the U.S. International Trade Commission.

In December 2023, the ITC sided with Masimo, imposing an import ban on Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 models that used the blood-oxygen sensor. Apple subsequently disabled the feature in America while it developed a redesign.

Apple’s redesign was approved by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection in August 2025. However, Masimo challenged that redesign at the ITC, leading up to the events on Friday.

Masimo can appeal the decision to the Washington-based U.S. ​Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, Reuters noted.

How Did Retail Traders React?

On Stocktwits, retail sentiment around MASI and AAPL stocks stayed within the ‘bullish’ territory at the time of writing.

While MASI stock has gained 17% over the past 12 months, AAPL stock has gained 37%. 

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