Ban on Apple Watch?

By: Rohit Yadav

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Updated on: 27-Feb-2023

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As you may already know, Apple uses electrocardiogram sensors on some of its watch models. Despite lobbying the Biden administration to prevent the import ban, Apple was unsuccessful. Now, the case is in the hands of the federal appeals court, who will ultimately determine if the Apple Watch will be banned from importation. It's worth noting that in 2015, AliveCor shared its heart-monitoring technology with Apple in the hopes of partnering with the tech giant. However, things went south when Apple introduced built-in heart rate monitoring sensors in 2018 and blocked third-party apps like AliveCor from accessing the sensor data.

It's anticipated that the appeal process for the import ban will come to a close sometime next year, bearing in mind that appeals before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board typically take between 12 to 18 months. As a result, there won't be an immediate import ban on the Apple Watch.

As reported by The Hill, AliveCor is ready to settle with Apple and license its heart monitoring technology to the tech giant. However, Apple has yet to express any interest in a settlement. AliveCor, based in California, also alleges that with a single update, Apple blocked competition and prevented AliveCor users from accessing heart monitoring data. Just last month, an ITC judge determined that Apple had infringed on pulse oximeter sensors, which were patented by a medical tech company named Masimo. The case is slated to go before the commission sometime this year and could potentially result in another import ban on Apple Watch models utilizing the technology.