Apple must pay $634 million in Masimo patent dispute

The dispute between Masimo and Apple has reached a new level. A US federal court has ruled that Apple must pay $634 million for infringing several Masimo patents related to the Apple Watch's blood oxygen monitoring technology. The ruling is among the highest damage awards in consumer technology cases in the Central District of California and increases the pressure on Apple, which has been dealing with this issue for years.

The conflict between Masimo and Apple goes back a long way. The recurring issue is whether the Apple Watch uses technologies that actually belong to Masimo. The area of health features, which is of great importance to both companies, is particularly sensitive. Masimo sees this as clear patent infringement. Apple disagrees, citing fundamental technical differences between a clinical patient monitor and a smartwatch. The recent ruling makes it clear that this dispute is far from over.

Apple's patent problems with the Apple Watch

A central issue in the trial was whether the Apple Watch qualifies as a patient monitor. Masimo argued that the watch's heart rate monitoring and blood oxygen measurement functions fall directly under the company's intellectual property rights. According to Masimo, the Apple Watch meets the technical requirements of the patents because it can detect an elevated resting heart rate with 95 percent accuracy.

Apple countered that a patient monitor must provide continuous monitoring and is therefore not comparable to a wearable device. The Apple Watch only triggers alerts if users remain still for ten minutes. According to Apple, this behavior does not meet the criteria for classification as a patient monitor.

Masimo also cited internal Apple documents that describe the watch as the world's most widely used heart rate monitor. Furthermore, Masimo noted that Apple had adjusted certain notification features after learning of Masimo's patent. The lawyers questioned why Apple hadn't reverted to older methods if it was simply a matter of further development.

The jury ultimately sided with Masimo's argument. They determined that Apple had integrated pulse oximetry capabilities into 43 million devices and awarded Masimo $634 million in damages. While this amount is below the maximum claim of $749 million, it is significantly higher than the $3 million to $6 million that Apple considered appropriate.

Masimo described the ruling as an important victory for the protection of its intellectual property. Apple announced it would appeal.

A long backstory with many twists and turns.

The conflict between Masimo and Apple has dragged on for years through various courts and authorities. Both companies have repeatedly appeared before the International Trade Commission and US district courts.

In 2023, a multi-billion dollar lawsuit ended in a mistrial because the jury could not reach a unanimous verdict. A further dispute before the ITC led to an import ban on the Apple Watch in the US. Apple responded by disabling blood oxygen measurement in US models via software.

The conflict is not a one-way street. In October 2024, Masimo itself was found guilty in a separate trial of infringing Apple's patents in the field of health technology. The result was damages of only $250, which had little practical significance.

The latest ruling comes alongside a new ITC order to reopen its investigation into potential patent infringements by the Apple Watch. This continues a series of escalations in which both companies are attempting to strengthen their positions against one of Apple's most important product categories.

The next phase in the conflict between Apple and Masimo

The $634 million ruling marks another significant step in one of the most extensive and complex patent disputes in the technology industry. The outcome not only impacts the future of the Apple Watch but also Apple's strategy in the healthcare sector. Since Apple has already announced its intention to appeal, it is foreseeable that this dispute will continue. At the same time, Masimo reinforces its commitment to consistently defending innovation and intellectual property. How this case will develop remains to be seen. What is certain is that the conflict between Masimo and Apple is far from over. (Image: Shutterstock / Wongsakorn 2468)