The U.S. International Trade Commission rejected a bid by Masimo Corp. to reinstate an import ban on Apple Watches on Friday, April 17, 2026 [1].
This ruling allows Apple Inc. to continue selling its redesigned smartwatches in the U.S. market without the threat of a second trade prohibition. The decision resolves a critical legal hurdle regarding the blood-oxygen monitoring features of the devices.
The ITC terminated the case after determining that Apple's reworked blood-oxygen monitoring technology does not infringe upon the patents held by Masimo [2]. Masimo said that the redesign of the watches still violated its intellectual property regarding pulse-oximetry technology [3].
The legal battle between the two companies began in 2021 [4]. This latest decision follows a previous period of volatility where Apple faced import restrictions due to similar patent disputes. By ruling that the new designs are compliant, the commission has cleared the path for Apple to maintain its current hardware lineup in the United States [2].
Apple's strategy involved modifying the sensor technology to avoid the specific patent claims raised by Masimo. The ITC's refusal to reinstate the ban suggests that these technical changes were sufficient to bypass the infringement claims [3].
The ruling comes as a significant victory for Apple, which had to navigate complex supply chain, and retail challenges during the initial ban. The commission's decision to close the case effectively ends this specific attempt by Masimo to block the import of the redesigned wearables [2].
“The U.S. International Trade Commission rejected a bid by Masimo Corp. to reinstate an import ban on Apple Watches.”
This ruling provides Apple with much-needed regulatory certainty for its wearable division. By successfully redesigning the blood-oxygen feature to avoid patent infringement, Apple has demonstrated a viable technical workaround to a long-standing legal dispute. This prevents potential revenue loss and ensures the company can continue shipping its flagship health-tracking hardware without the risk of sudden customs seizures.
