Apple Watch edges closer to a possible US import ban after the Biden-led administration upholds its patent ruling. The current administration upheld a legal ruling that states Apple Watches infringed patents from AliveCor, a health tech company.
Apple Watch Edges Closer To a Possible US Import Ban
The Biden administration refused to overrule a US International Trade Commission decision on Tuesday that Apple Watch had infringed health monitoring patents from AliveCor, a medical device company. And as a result, the tech company could be facing an import ban for its infringing Apple Watches, but solely depending on how it works out with appeal.
AliveCor’s Statement Regarding the News
AliveCor which is based in California in a statement said that it was informed that the Biden administration would not overrule a decision made in December by the ITC that found the Apple Watch Infringed AliveCor patents involving electrocardiograms. And although the decision by the ITC could lead to a ban on Apple Watches, the US Patent and Trademark Office also has invalidated patents of AliveCor, which is a move that the medical tech company said it will appeal.
Apple back in December for its part said that it expects to prevail in the case because the patents of AliveCor had been found to be invalid. The company however plans to appeal the decision of the ITC to federal court.
AliveCor said that the decision of the Biden administration shows that the US will protect important patents.
“We applaud President Biden for upholding the ITC’s ruling and holding Apple accountable for infringing the patents that underpin our industry-leading ECG technology,” Priya Abani, CEO of AliveCor said in a statement.
This Is the Latest Twists in a Series of Patent Battles against Tech Giants
The decision of the administration marks the latest twists in a series of patent battles that tech giants have been fighting with medical device companies over important technologies in its Apple Watch. And in addition to the ECG patents of AliveCor, Apple also is fighting Masimo a medical device company over patents for measuring heart rate and blood oxygen levels.
Apple and Its Long History of Fighting Lawsuits over Its Technology
Apple usually has a long history of fighting lawsuits over its technology. And many of those cases included a host of patent battles with smartphone rivals Samsung and Nokia. Apple however settled with Samsung back in 2018 and then with Nokia in 2017.
