As per the jury, Apple’s implementation of blood oxygen features infringed on Masimo’s intellectual property.
In a major courtroom setback, a federal jury in California has ordered Apple to pay $634 million (around ₹5,620 crore) to medical technology company Masimo, after ruling that the iPhone maker infringed on one of Masimo’s key patents used in the Apple Watch’s blood oxygen monitoring feature.
The verdict marks a significant moment in the long-running dispute between the two companies, both of which have been locked in multiple legal battles over health-related sensor technologies used in Apple’s wearable devices.
Jury sides with Masimo over patent dispute
According to court filings, the jury found that Apple violated Masimo’s U.S. Patent No. 10,433,776, which covers low-power pulse oximeter technology, a system designed to measure blood oxygen levels efficiently without draining battery life. The patent expired in 2022, but Masimo’s case covered 43 million Apple Watch units sold with the allegedly infringing feature.
The jury concluded that the Apple Watch qualifies as a “patient monitor”, a key term defined under Masimo’s patent. Apple had argued that the Apple Watch was not a continuous monitoring medical device but a consumer wearable that performs health checks only intermittently.
Masimo countered this argument, pointing to the high heart rate alert system in Apple Watch, which detects abnormalities with 95% sensitivity. The company said this demonstrated continuous monitoring behavior, placing the Apple Watch within the same functional scope as medical-grade devices.
After weeks of testimony and deliberations, the jury ultimately agreed with Masimo’s interpretation, ruling that Apple’s implementation of blood oxygen features infringed on Masimo’s intellectual property.
Apple to appeal, calls the case “based on outdated tech”
In its defence, Apple had urged the court to limit damages between $3 million and $6 million, while Masimo sought between $634 million and $749 million in compensation. The jury sided squarely with the latter’s valuation.
Responding to the verdict, Apple said it would appeal the decision, calling the case “based on expired, decades-old technology.”
“Masimo has sued Apple in multiple courts and asserted over 25 patents, the majority of which have been found invalid,” the company told Reuters.
“The single patent in this case expired in 2022 and relates to historic patient monitoring technology.”
Masimo, meanwhile, hailed the outcome as a “significant win in our ongoing efforts to protect innovation and intellectual property.”
Part of a larger global battle
This ruling is separate from another ongoing legal dispute between the two companies at the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC), which has previously led to temporary Apple Watch sales bans over similar technology claims.
The latest decision reinforces a growing challenge for Apple as it faces mounting scrutiny over the health-related technologies that have become central to its wearables lineup.
If upheld on appeal, the verdict could not only result in a hefty payout but also force Apple to reconsider or modify its future health-tracking features, a cornerstone of its expanding ecosystem of wellness devices.
The article originally appeared on Hindustan Times
