Updated
Updated · 9to5Mac · Jul 21
Apple Loses Bid to Overturn $634 Million Masimo Verdict, Plans Appeal
Updated
Updated · 9to5Mac · Jul 21

Apple Loses Bid to Overturn $634 Million Masimo Verdict, Plans Appeal

3 articles · Updated · 9to5Mac · Jul 21

Summary

  • $634 million in patent damages will stand after a California federal judge denied Apple’s requests for judgment as a matter of law and for a new trial in Masimo’s case.
  • Judge James V. Selna backed the jury’s finding that Apple Watch qualifies as a “patient monitor” under Masimo’s patent, rejecting Apple’s argument that the term should apply only to conventional medical equipment.
  • Selna also refused a retrial, finding no serious error in the jury instructions or in the exclusion of testimony from one of Apple’s experts.
  • Apple said it plans to appeal, arguing Masimo has asserted more than 25 patents over six years and that the patent at issue expired in 2022.
  • The ruling extends a broader fight that already produced a 2023 U.S. import ban on some blood-oxygen Apple Watches and later software and design changes to keep affected models on sale.

Insights

The Apple Watch was ruled a 'medical device.' Does this verdict threaten advanced health features in all consumer wearables?
With Danaher now owning Masimo, will it escalate the billion-dollar legal war against Apple's flagship watch?
After a $634M verdict over an expired patent, can Apple's innovation outpace the growing threat of medical patent lawsuits?