The US International Trade Commission (ITC) has definitively ended the proceedings in the Masimo dispute in Apple's favor. Apple's revised blood oxygen measurement does not infringe any Masimo patents – thus, an import ban for the Apple Watch is off the table.
The years-long legal battle between Apple and Masimo over the Apple Watch's blood oxygen measurement feature is nearing its end. After Apple was forced to disable the function in the US at the end of 2023, the company developed a revised version that offloads most of the calculations to the iPhone. The US International Trade Commission (ITC) decided today to definitively end the proceedings – without reviewing the judge's original ruling.
The decision means Apple can continue to offer its revised blood oxygen measurement device in the US. Masimo had attempted to have the new version included under the existing import ban, arguing that the changes were insufficient to circumvent the patents. The ITC has now rejected this attempt.
A brief overview of the backstory
The dispute began in 2023 with the first ITC ruling, which prohibited Apple from importing Apple Watches with the original blood oxygen monitoring feature into the US. Apple subsequently disabled the feature temporarily on US models to avoid halting sales. At the same time, the company worked on a redesign of the feature.
The revised version returned to the US in August 2025. Instead of performing the calculations entirely on the watch, the Apple Watch now only collects raw data and transmits it to the iPhone for analysis. The ITC deemed this architecture patent-free.
Masimo disagreed and attempted to have the redesign included in the import ban through various legal avenues. Two rulings in March were already in Apple's favor: An ITC judge declared the redesigned version patent-free, and the Federal Circuit upheld the initial exclusion of the old version – but only that one.
Apple vs. Masimo: Today's decision
The full ITC panel decided today not to review the court's finding. This brings the combined proceedings to a complete close, and the panel confirms that the redesigned Apple Watch models do not infringe existing patents and are therefore not subject to exclusion under the Limited Exclusion Order.
In a statement to 9to5Mac, Apple thanked the ITC for the decision and emphasized that Masimo had been waging a "relentless legal campaign" against Apple for over six years – and that almost all of its lawsuits had been dismissed. Apple will continue to defend its innovations.
What this means for users
For Apple Watch users in the US, nothing will change immediately: The revamped blood oxygen feature will remain available. Other health features, such as the ECG app and notifications for irregular heart rhythm and high blood pressure, will also remain unaffected.
For German and European Apple Watch owners, the dispute was never relevant anyway – the import ban only applied to the USA. Blood oxygen measurement remained available in Germany the entire time.
Masimo can still appeal today's decision. However, given his previous defeats, his chances of success are likely slim. The dispute, which has plagued the Apple Watch market in the US for years, is thus nearing its end, based on all current indications. (Image: Shutterstock / frantic00)
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