A federal jury in California has ruled that Apple Inc. (AAPL) must pay $634 million to medical technology company Masimo Corp (MASI) for infringing a patent related to blood-oxygen monitoring technology used in Apple Watches. The verdict comes as part of a long-standing legal battle between the two companies over wearable health technology.

Jury Finds Apple in Patent Violation

The jury concluded that Apple’s Apple Watch features, specifically its workout mode and heart rate notifications, infringed Masimo’s patent. A Masimo spokesperson confirmed the decision, highlighting it as a major validation of their intellectual property rights.

Apple has expressed disagreement with the ruling and announced plans to appeal the verdict, stating that the company believes its technology does not infringe Masimo’s patents.

Masimo described the ruling as a “significant win in our ongoing efforts to protect our innovations and intellectual property,” emphasizing the importance of defending proprietary technology in the competitive wearable health device market.

Background: The Apple vs. Masimo Legal Battle

The California lawsuit is only one part of a broader, multi-front legal conflict between Apple and Masimo. Masimo, based in Irvine, California, previously accused Apple of poaching its employees and misappropriating its pulse oximetry technology to use in Apple Watches.

In 2023, the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) blocked imports of Apple’s Series 9 and Ultra 2 smartwatches, finding that Apple’s blood-oxygen monitoring technology violated Masimo patents. To comply with the ruling, Apple temporarily removed blood-oxygen reading features from its watches and later reintroduced an updated version in August, with approval from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Despite these updates, the ITC has decided to hold a new proceeding to determine if Apple’s revised Apple Watch models should remain subject to the import ban. Masimo has also filed ongoing legal action against U.S. Customs over the decision, while Apple is challenging the import ban in a federal appeals court.

Related Legal Developments

The legal conflict between Apple and Masimo includes multiple cases across different jurisdictions:

• In 2023, a California judge declared a mistrial in Masimo’s trade-secret case against Apple after the jury failed to reach a unanimous decision.
• In Delaware, Apple secured a $250 verdict against Masimo over allegations that Masimo smartwatches infringed Apple design patents.

These rulings illustrate the complexity and high stakes involved in disputes over wearable technology, especially as smartwatches increasingly integrate advanced health monitoring features.

Implications for the Tech Industry

This $634 million ruling underscores the growing importance of intellectual property protection in the tech sector. As companies like Apple expand into health-focused wearable devices, patent disputes over technologies like pulse oximetry and heart rate monitoring are likely to increase.

Industry experts suggest that such legal battles may shape future innovation, as companies navigate patent rights, employee mobility, and trade regulations while developing next-generation smart devices.